It’s a national way of thinking in our country – to complain. Complain about the weather, complain about the price of things, complain about the food.
I’ve done my fair share of complaining.
The thing with complaining though – it takes us further away from happiness…the one thing we want most in life.
As Jack Canfield says, “Remember, you and you alone are responsible for maintaining your energy. Give up blaming, complaining and excuse making, and keep taking action in the direction of your goals – however mundane or lofty they may be.”
Today is the day you can set an intention to give up complaining.
Be clear on your WHY of why you want to do this. Is it to be happy? To be content? To be free from suffering? To be more loving and accepting?
Once you’re clear on your WHY, say this phrase at the end of every complaint that goes through your mind, whether unsaid, or said out loud:
…and I am blessed.
Let’s say you just ordered dinner at your favorite restaurant, and the waiter excitedly brings out the food, places it on your table and turns away.
You look down at your plate and see they gave you white bread instead of wheat, as you had ordered. When the mind says, “no one listens to me” or “why can’t they get this right?” etc., finish the sentence with “…and I am blessed.”
In that moment you’re changing the neuro-pathways of the brain to go a different route. Every time you do this, you’re training your brain to think in a new, and more positive way.
Here’s another example. You come home to find that your partner didn’t mow the lawn as they had said they were going to do, or didn’t clean up his/her mess in the kitchen, and your mind goes into, “they never do what they say they’re going to do” or “now I have to do it,” finish the sentence with “….and I am blessed.”
We are showered with blessings every day. It only takes a moment of realization, a moment of awareness to wake us up to this miracle.
Every step we take, every bite of food we eat, every conversation we have, every sunrise and sunset we see, every drop of water we drink or use, are all blessings. It’s only the mind that keeps us from seeing and knowing this.
The great news is we can train our minds to think differently.
Of the 21,000 breaths we take a day, notice one of them and say, “…and I am blessed.”
What you’ll notice from doing this is a how you feel inside. Watch what happens to your own joy and happiness from doing this practice for one week and share it with me. I’d love to hear from you.
What are you blessed with today dear friend?
This idea shared from Awakening Joy by James Baraz.
Categories: Gratitude, Health & Happiness, Heart Centered Living