I realized one day that my friend and I were complaining…a lot. About EVERYTHING. And jeez, was it a drag. I felt totally energetically drained.
That day, I decided that I’m going to TRY to stop complaining. So, I did. But you know what happened then? I started to complain in my mind. OMG, I thought. This is even worse! UGH.
At that point, I was over it. It wasn’t enough to stop complaining verbally. My mission was a mind-overhaul. My next step to stop my brain from complaining was this. Drum roll, please…
Everytime I was about to complain, I turned it into a gratitude. Sound simple enough? It was pretty challenging at times. Take a looksy:
Situation: Running a workshop all weekend and coming home to a sink full, FULL of dishes. My immediate response was pretty negative (I’ll spare you the details), and then I caught myself and did the switch-a-roo: I’m grateful that I have a husband and children who have food they can eat, on dishes, in a house, with running water! I kept going (and going…and going) until my negative frustration turned into gratitude. And the coolest part? When I shifted into gratitude, my whole being felt lighter and less stressed. It was a Christmas miracle. 😉
So, my challenge to you: The next time you’re about to complain, turn it into something you’re thankful for. Stuck in traffic? I’m thankful I have a car and some alone time. You get the drift. It’s time to retrain that complaining brain, and before you know it, you will have created a new track in your mind that isn’t destined for negativity.