Yes, Write That Down!

Good Morning World :)

Day # 12 of implementing this "No Complaining Rule" in my life and I woke up super thankful for so many reasons:

1. I woke up (**MAJOR BLESSING**)
2. I have full use of my body and all 5 senses
3. The sun is shining
4. I had a great night's sleep
5. I have my own bed to sleep in
6. I have food in the kitchen
7. I have a kitchen in an apartment with heat, clean running water, and electricity
8. I get to go teach and share my love for dance today (4x)
9. I have the opportunity to blog about how thankful I am
10. I have peace 

I could go on and on and on but I hope you get the picture. Okay let's see. The past 12 days have been full of ups and downs but at the end of every day when I sit & think about everything I always say to myself "Yep, I'm still blessed." No matter how bad your day may seem I promise you there are at least 5 things that you can be thankful for. So don't let your boss, co-workers, rehearsal director, children, spouse, or what may seem like an impossible situation ruin your entire day. Just take a deep breath, think about your blessings, SMILE & MOVE FORWARD WITH YOUR HEAD HELD HIGH!!! Things will get better!! It will not only help you destress, it will help you keep a certain level of peace. Plus the more you focus on the good in life, the bad won't seem so bad anymore. I've gotten to the point in my life where if something doesn't go my way I start thanking and praising because that means something better is coming my way soon. The image below pretty much sums it all up for me.



I'm not sure if this has happened yet, to those of you who accepted the "no complaining rule" challenge, but I've started to notice how much people complain. I'll leave my apartment in a great mood, feeling thankful, and ready to take on the tasks for the day. But by the time I get to the subway I might have passed 3 or 4 people already who were complaining and I find myself then starting to complain that they were complaining. Wait...but I was just in such a great mood 3 min ago. Something is definitely wrong with that picture. It can be super hard to not let others moods affect you but it must be done. So what I usually try to do is to block out what they are saying whether that means turning up my iPhone, meditating on scripture, or telling myself over and over that I'm still blessed until I feel better. You will have to find what works for you. Some of you might find that praying helps you while others might find that just simply smiling will help. No one said this journey was going to be easy. But one thing I can say is that is definitely worth it. I would rather be around people who are striving to have and create peace than to be around those who constantly complain as if it is their job. It's hard for others around you to stay negative or complain if you are really adamant about not complaining and staying positive. Life is hard enough without adding unnecessary negativity, which leads to stress, which leads to health problems, which leads to...well you get my drift.

Let's get back on topic.

In Philippians 4:8 (NIV) we find the following scripture "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things."

This is one of my favorite verses to meditate on when I'm feeling down or like everything is going wrong. Maybe I missed my train, it's pouring outside & I don't have an umbrella, or I didn't get that gig I wanted. Whatever the case, thinking about Philippians 4:8 has helped me numerous times. It's crazy how just shifting your thoughts to what is going right in your life or the beauty of the world around us can immediately lift our mood. Well...at least that works for me. I'm almost positive it will work for you too. Don't knock it until you try it :)

I kind of already touched base on this above but here is Step # 3

"Focus on Success. Start a success journal. Each night before you go to bed, write down the one great thing about your day. The one great conversation, accomplishment, or win that you are most proud of. Focus on your success, and you'll look forward to creating more success tomorrow" -Jon Gordon

I will tell you that this really does help, BIG TIME! There is something about writing down your successes that makes you feel more thankful. I love going back and reading the successes of previous days. It helps me realize how far I have come and gives me reassurance that I am on the right path. As I stated in my 1st blog "we weren’t created to be complainers but to live with a spirit of joy and thanksgiving." Here's a song by Jill Scott that I love listening to throughout my day!!

I truly do hope that this blog reminds you of all the blessings that you have in your life and encourages you to always give thanks no matter what the circumstance!!!


Stay tuned for the next 2 steps of what to do instead of complain. Until then remember to focus on the positive, count your blessings, focus on what others are doing right, and write down your blessings and successes daily!!!

Sending you all peace, joy, and love



Have the most amazing day possible!!!!

Cierra :)