Wait...What's the Point of Complaining, Again?

So last Friday, October 5th, 2012, I adopted a No Complaining Rule in my life and have never felt more at peace!!! For those of you who didn’t see it here was my original post on Facebook:

“I’m adopting a No Complaining Rule in my life because I have way too much to be thankful for!!! Letting go of what is beyond my control and focusing on the things that I have the power to change. I’m only speaking life and positivity into those around me. If you want to be negative or complain please do so around and with someone else. Life is way too short to not live with a spirit of joy and thanksgiving!!!!” -Me

That was 3 days ago and let me tell you it has made a BIG difference in my life. I didn’t realize before how many times a day the opportunity to complain comes up in life. Now I try to constantly remind myself to make the decision to give thanks instead of complain. I’m not saying it is easy because it isn’t. I have definitely slipped up a few times over the past 3 days. But then again nothing in life, really worth attaining, is ever easy. If it were easy then what would be the point?

Jon Gordon, a best selling author and keynote speaker, says “There are usually two main reasons why we complain. 1. We complain because we feel powerless. 2. We complain because it’s a habit.”

I can attest that these 2 statements are indeed true, at least for me. I look back on the past 23 years of my life and realize that most of the times I was prone to complain stemmed from situations in which I had no power to control. I’ll use an example from my life. So I attended a dance school in NYC for 4 years and they had a very strict dress code. Now I made the choice to go to this school and I knew that when I signed up that they had this strict dress code but I still attended anyway because that 1 con did not outweigh all the pros. At first I was okay with it but after my 1st year there I got really annoyed of wearing the same thing 5 days a week. So what did I naturally do? Yes, that’s right complained. In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, walking to class, walking from class…well you get the picture. But what I failed to realize, at the time, was that complaining was not going to change anything (Btw, that school still has the same dress code policy and most likely won’t change anytime soon). Actually the only thing it did was create a negative environment and make me and those around me unhappy. I should have looked at the situation and said “Well I may not like the dress code here but look at all the opportunities to grow in my craft and expand my horizons that this school provides me with.” There are so many people who would have loved to have the opportunity I had. Nothing and no one in this world is perfect and we will never always get exactly what we want. There is almost always some sort of compromise that must be made. Until we realize this fact, we will never truly be happy!!! **To any non-dancers who may be reading this I hope you were able to follow that example**

Crazy thing is we “weren’t created to be complainers but to live with a spirit of joy and thanksgiving.” Once you start complaining it can be pretty hard to stop. The more you complain it starts to develop into a habit. As most of us probably already know habits can be pretty be hard to break.

Jon Gordon created a list entitled “5 Things To Do Instead of Complain” and I’ll be sharing these tips with you through out the week.
Let’s Start with #1:

“Practice Gratitude. Research shows that when we count three blessings a day, we get a measurable boost in happiness that uplifts and energizes us. It’s also physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time. If you are focusing on gratitude, you can’t be negative.” -Jon Gordon (Psalm 118:24)

I personally would much rather be thankful and full of gratitude then to be stressed or negative. Life is way too short. What about you? Are you going to continue to focus on what is wrong in you life or all the things in your life that are right? If you are reading this blog then I already know one thing you can be thankful for…YOU WERE BLESSED TO SEE ANOTHER DAY OF LIFE!!!

I’m challenging all of you to go on a “no complaining fast.” Take it one day a time until it becomes a habit and you no longer have to think about it. You’ll be so amazed at how it will help change your perspective on life and allow you to be more positive, which as a result will make you and those around you happier. We are here on this earth to help encourage & build each other up, not to discourage and tear each other down.

Stay tuned for the next 4 steps of what to do instead of complain. Until then focus on the positive and count your blessings!!!

Love, peace, and joy to all!!!
-Cierra

P.S. Feel free to leave comments & share this blog! I’m pretty new to this whole blogging thing so I'm still working out all the kinks.