“When you complain, you become a victim. Leave the situation, change the situation, or accept it. Everything else is crazy.” -Eckhart Tolle
Complain, complain, complain: we all do it, right? Complaining can be a habit, and for most of us, it’s quite easy to make others feel sorry for us. It may even seem antisocial not to join someone else’s bitch session. But is it really worth continuing to complain?
Facebook Memories reminded me that I had participated in a complaint-free week in 2011. It was an interesting and revealing week. Here’s a summary:
Day 1. For the next seven days, I vow to live a life free of complaints. Zero tolerance for complaining or blaming.
[I got the idea from Will Bowen, the founder of an organization called A Complaint Free World. I posted my commitment and invited Facebook friends to join in.]
Day 2. It’s natural to notice things we don’t like. That is the contrast that inspires desire. The contrast also establishes a crossroads. We can complain and attract more of what we don’t like OR we can make peace with what is, focus on what we prefer and attract more of the good.
[I get to choose how I respond and it matters very much what I choose. As A Course in Miracles proclaims, “I could choose love instead!” Or fun… or joy… or… ]
Day 3. I notice my tendency to complain when I have to wait: at the chiropractor’s office, at the grocery store, etc. I wonder: is complaining a response to feeling powerless?
[It may feel like I’m taking my power back when I complain, but complaining actually lowers my vibration and exacerbates my feeling of powerlessness.]
Day 4. The weather forecast calls for a high of 108 here in Austin. Rather than complain about the heat, I intend to appreciate the air conditioning and imagine cool, crisp fall weather ahead.
[Myneighbor was bemoaning the heat wave that day and I responded that I’d love to join in but I had committed to a complaint-free week. We both laughed.]
Day 5. I bet if we REALLY understood that we create our own reality, instead of complaining about a reality we don’t like, we would get busy creating a reality we prefer.
[Complaining only brings us more to complain about.]
“Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.” -Benjamin Franklin
Day #6. If I say it’s too hot or this traffic stinks or why did you cut my hair so short, I complain. If I say that it is very hot, that there is a lot of traffic today, surely he cut my hair this time, I realize. One is a complaint and the other is an observation. And the vibrational difference is enormous.
[This was a fun realization. I can notice what-is without complaining about it.]
Day #7. Calls to customer service departments have often been less than a piece of cake for me, so I set a firm intention before calling AT&T today. It worked! I made it through the entire call without complaint and proved that with the right attitude, I can enjoy every moment of this physical life experience.
[How empowering to know that it’s possible to enjoy any situation. Well, if not enjoy, at least accept.]
Reviewing my complaint-free week reminded me:
*The easier it is to maintain a high vibration when I refuse to give in to blaming and complaining.
* I can always choose a better feeling answer.
*instead of complaining about a reality that I don’t like, I can focus on the reality that I prefer and, therefore, create a better emotional experience.
Today I recommit myself to a life free of complaints. and I am super determined to find something positive in every situation.
Will you join me?
