“I am too full of complaints,” I say to myself, complaining about my complaining.
Admitting that allows me to see it as another learning opportunity. Complaints block the the joy-beams’ glow, after all. I need to call up the janitors to sweep them away.
I laugh as I hear the words “Your next assignment, should you choose to accept it” echo from some hallway of my mind.
I accept the challenge and begin by asking myself what attitude I would like to install in place of complaining. (Once you decide to do something, you may as well begin.) How about appreciation? Yeah. That would be cool. I make up a game. (Call if an exercise or a practice if you will.) Here it is:
Every time I notice myself complaining, I will choose to identify three things in my immediate vicinity that I appreciate.
- First, I will say “Thank you,” to the part of me that called the complaint to my notice.
- Then I will say “I’m sorry; please forgive me” because I fell into the trap of complaining.
- Then I will say “I love you” because the world is stuffed with things that offer joy.
- After that I’ll identify the three things, just for the delight of it.
And that’s the game.
We’ll see how it goes.