Day One of the No Complaining Experiment
Jan 19th, 2009 by kathy
It’s Day One and already my resolve has been challenged.
I made it through the day with just one legitimate complaint. I finished my “No Complaint Bracelet” this evening and now I have a physical reminder to turn complaints into positive declarations. I added “Gratitude” and “Passion” to my bracelet to remind me that any negative thought can be vaporized with gratitude and it takes passion to reach your goals.
Each time I was present today and turned a complaint into a positive I felt uplifted. And purposeful. There were plenty of opportunities to slide into complaining and comiserating mode. It takes a conscious effort to turn complaints into positive affirmations.
Tomorrow’s another day. And a fresh start. Maybe my new bracelet will make a difference…
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I’ve always thought that complaining doesn’t change anything, so therefore not necessary. Though of course we all do it, thanks for reminding us to be aware of that tendency. And I love that bracelet, and the positive reminder that it takes passion to reach our goals. It certainly does, and that passion makes for an amazing journey. (btw, Comments seem to be working fine today!)
Joanne’s last blog post..Please Seat Yourself
Hi Kathy,
I love the idea of the bracelet – it’s a physical reminder you’re wearing. Gratitude really can flip complaining on it’s side, so that’s a great choice to have on the bracelet, and in your mind. Passion is always good – so you’ve got a great combination!
Lance’s last blog post..Small Gestures of Love
Joanne: You’re right that complaining doesn’t change anything. I’m already finding that stopping to think about a solution to what I wanted to complain about actually does set change in motion.
Lance: I just took Pastor Will Bowen’s (acomplaintfreeworld.org) idea of using a purple wristband and made a personalized bracelet. It’s already very evident in these first days that gratitude really does “flip complaining on its side” as you described. And my outlook is much more positive and expansive. Complaining also shrinks our world and we miss the abundant possibilities for creative solutions.