In the book, A Complaint Free World by Will Bowen, the author plays a game with his church about complaining. You wear a rubber bracelet on your wrist and switch the bracelet to the other wrist each time you complain. The object is to go 21 days without complaining.
I tried this out, and my record was six days. My wife’s best was 11 days, and my sister-in-law made it to 16 days (and she’s a flight attendant!). Truth be told, I tried to get them both to complain, but it didn’t work.
The point is, no one wants to hear you complain. Seriously, no one. So why not try it?
This week as you go about your business, try not to complain. Try not to complain about work, traffic, politics, your partner…you get it.
Here is a great quote from Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert: “Stop complaining. You’re scaring away inspiration.”
Life is good.
Jeff