A few weeks ago I went complain-free. Now I’m not one to complain a lot but I have legitimate frustrations and concerns and, well, sometimes they get the better of me.
I didn’t even voice most of my complaints- it was my thoughts that were the problem. I thought about things that were unfair and how unhappy I was about it. I considered things that weren’t happening as agreed and I resented it. But I realized these complaints were just bringing me down so I made a decision to set them aside for 2 weeks.
Just a few days making the decision to shift my focus things started to change. One person honored an agreement we’d made. I was treated with greater respect by those around me. Something I’d asked for months ago took shape and I got what I asked for.
So I have this theory about how changing this one thing changed my life. When my attitude and outlook became more positive, open, and approachable, the people around me responded in kind. We prefer to be nice to those who are nice to us, don’t we? And wouldn’t we rather spend our time with someone that is pleasant, friendly, and hopeful?
I changed from someone carrying around my complaints to someone that was ready for good stuff to happen!
Of course this isn’t to say my life is now perfect, or I have every little thing I want, but I can say that those very things that upset are no longer a problem. In some cases those things have changed, and in other cases there is so much good stuff happening those upsetting things aren’t upsetting me.
My attitude changed and my life changed with it.
Have you ever experienced anything similar? How’d it work out for you? Are you willing to give up your complaints for a better life?
“The greatest discover of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” ~Oprah Winfrey
Image credit Amanda Tipton