With a broken elbow she was apologizing for not being more positive. Is there ever a good enough reason to complain?
I Hereby Grant You Permission to Complain
Complaining is a choice. So is gratitude. I practice gratitude every single evening but I also complain. A lot. I am not all gratitude because I am human and sometimes I feel sorry for myself. Sometimes I let a bad 15 minutes become a bad day by wallowing in it and reliving it. But I always return to gratitude. Sometimes I jump from gratitude to complaint and back again all within five minutes. I am not always my higher self. And actually, I think the realness of a range of emotion and perspectives makes me closer to my higher self than the fakeness of denying my shadow.
Yesterday a friend posted about how she broke her elbow. The post wasn’t particularly complainey, she just said that it wasn’t her favorite day. But still she apologized for complaining. I have caught myself in this position too, apologizing for not being positive enough. Each time I wonder why I did it. I think that showing our whole selves is important. When things go wrong we have a choice. Will we complain or will we be grateful? This isn’t a choice we make once and stick with it. It is a choice we make every single moment. To me the beauty is in the choice. Sometimes I catch myself complaining as a reflex, without any thought or mindfulness. I’d much rather be present and mindful with my choices, whether complaints or gratitude.
I hereby grant you permission to complain for whatever reason you have to complain. I also hereby grant you permission to be grateful for whatever reason you have to be grateful. Or both. Or neither. But whatever choice you make, be present and mindful. Be conscious that it is a choice. And whatever you choose, you are free to make another choice. Again and again.
Being miserable is a habit. Being happy is a habit. The choice is yours.
~Tom Hopkins
In this moment are you choosing complaint or gratitude?
LEARNING: Rainbows were abundant here in Albuquerque last week. I saw so many gorgeous photos of truly spectacular rainbows. A gorgeous sight. Then when it happened again the next day, I didn’t feel as grateful for the photos. This time I was lamenting that I didn’t see the rainbows for myself. I didn’t stop there. Soon I was being hard on myself for not going outside enough and for not exercising enough and for working too much and for being lazy. Then I realized that instead of all that BS, I could just be grateful for the photos that people shared so I could still enjoy it while also accepting that I didn’t catch it first hand. Next time I am unleashing negative self-talk I will try to find something I am grateful for instead.
FORGOTTEN GRATITUDE: Last week I was also grateful for Supreme Court rulings that make me hopeful for the future … Finding After Bite … Midsummer overcast mornings.
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[su_note note_color=”#e7e7e7″ text_color=”#686767″ radius=”0″] My gratitude journey started in May 2011 and continues to this day. Thank you for being a part of it! A daily gratitude practice is simple. Write down three things you are grateful for each day. Download your free GratitudeGuide. My clients focus on gratitude and learn from their successes to make the positive changes they want in their lives. You can too. Call me to set up our first meeting 505.333.9336. [/su_note]