If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.
--Maya Angelou
You know how New Year's resolutions are - full of promise and good intentions that fade away before the first spring thaw. I couldn't tell you what my resolutions were a year ago. Probably something to do with writing, which obviously fell by the wayside. But I have made some changes in the past year. I lost the 13 pounds that had crept up on me. I've been eating healthier and exercising more.
These improvements weren't the result of resolution but of a growing interest in the power of positive thinking. I'm a believer in the law of attraction and have gradually become more aware of its impact on my life. And today I've been pondering the most common obstacle I face in remaining in a positive state of mind: the temptation to complain when things aren't going the way I'd like.
The problem with complaining is that it so often feels justified. There are any number of circumstances in my personal or global awareness that give rise to feelings of discontent. To acknowledge them is one thing, to gripe about them another. Whether I speak aloud or mentally obsess hardly matters, the negative energy I'm generating is equally destructive to my intent to maintain positive thought.
So here's my plan. I resolve to abstain from all complaint for a minimum of thirty days and to observe how the challenge plays out. I will not speak, ruminate, or listen to complaining words. I'll acknowledge disappointment, frustration, sadness, and the like and then move on to focus on what a better picture would look like. I can't think of a better way to begin a new year.
