What would your day, your life, the world be like if you had no complaints? As we can only be responsible for our own thoughts, beliefs, attitudes and actions, it really does start with each of us. I have heard people blame ‘society’ for their woes. The truth is ‘we are society too’.
Take a moment to consider all of the things you kvetch and moan and complain about in your life.
Then, clear your mind and contemplate what it is that you feel grateful for.
Breathe….. which state feels more fulfilling and empowering?
In 2006, a visionary named Will Bowen came up with a revolutionary concept that has already touched millions of lives and is having a positive impact on the planet.
How do you live your bliss?
Bliss is found in doing what brings you joy and satisfaction without regard as to how it will be seen by others. For me, I love to learn and to write. Nothing is more gratifying than to tame the blank screen. That is, to sit down to write with no idea as to what will pour forth only to discover something wonderful.
What inspired you to share the concept of A Complaint Free World?
I was teaching a series on prosperity based on Edwene Gaine’s book, “The 4 Spiritual Laws of Prosperity.” In it, Gaines states that people want to be more prosperous but complain incessantly about what they already have.
She suggests that people should attempt to eradicate complaining by going 21 consecutive days without a single complaint. The twist I added was the bracelet which monitors a person’s success. People are invited to put the Complaint Free bracelet on either wrist and with every complaint switch it to the other wrist. This makes a person aware of how often they complain and keeps track of his or her progress toward going 21 consecutive days without complaining.
How can a simple paradigm shift alter the state of the planet?
Everything we are is a result of what we believe both individually and collectively. There is a long list of things we have believed in the past which later were been found to be erroneous. A shift in belief creates a paradigm shift. As we begin to see the world as good, whole, loving and abundant this belief becomes pervasive, it will be so.
Seems to me that we are talking about attitudes being contagious.
Have you ever noticed a flock of birds flitting through the sky? Scientists have found that the flock has no leader. A flock of birds is moved by individual decisions made by each bird and how they react to the birds around them.
Human beings are the same. We act and react based on those about us. Our ideal is to improve our attitude rather than being impacted by others. Our positive attitude will spread in time.
Why do you think people complain so much?
Scientists have found the people complain for five reasons. Here’s an acronym to remember the: G.R.I.P.E.
Get attention – People have an innate need to be recognized by others and will complain to get noticed.
Remove responsibility – People complain about the difficulty of a task or situation to pardon themselves from taking action to improve it
Inspire envy – complaining is often done to inspire those about us to envy. That is, a peson will complain about someone else as a way of saying, “I don’t have the character flaws she has–I am superior to her.” In short, complaining is often bragging.
Power- People complain at work, in families, in churches and in most other groups as a means of having power over others. The implicit meaning behind such complaints is, “If it ever comes down to me against him, I want you on my side.”
Excuse poor performance – “You didn’t wake me up!” “Shipping messed up the order.” Etc. These are all examples of someone complaining to excuse why they did not perform up to the requisite standard.
Is awareness of just how much we tend to complain, a key factor in changing?
The average person complains 15 – 30 times a day and has no idea they are doing so. I like to say, “Complaining is like bad breath. We notice it when it comes out of someone else’s mouth but not when it comes out of our own.” We must first become aware of a negative habit to change it.
Ok, so what’s the next step to co-creating a complaint free world?
There is an old Russian proverb: “To clean the world, begin with your own doorstep.” The next step is for individuals to accept this challenge. It is not easy to reformat your mental hard drive by not complaining but it is possible and we have received hundreds of emails, letters and phone calls from people who have credited this process with leading to greater happiness, improved health, saved marriages, better paying jobs, happy home lives and much, much more.
Please talk about your books on becoming complaint free.
My first book, “A Complaint Free World” explains the reasons people complain, why complaining is harmful and how to overcome complaining. It is filled with touching and inspiring stories of people who have transformed their lives by becoming Complaint Free. It has sold more than a million copies worldwide.
My second book “Complaint Free Relationships” helps us understand why we see people in certain ways and how, when we change the way we view them, they will change and become more what we desire. It provides practical principals of how to shift the one constant in our relationships–ourselves, and in so doing improve our lives. This book is also an international bestseller.
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