I am very late to this party, evidently. Not that I’m a Negative Nellie based on my very limited self-assessment. But, I noticed a fellow bridge player with a rubber bracelet that I assumed represented some cause but she schooled me that it wasn’t. Inscribed on it were these words, “Complaint Free Challenge.”
Here’s the deal. The goal is to go complaint free for 21 days. The research suggests that’s how long it takes to change a habit. I’m going to challenge that research….I don’t believe that for a minute. But, who am I to question them?
So, if you complain or go negative, you have to move the bracelet to the other wrist and the 21 days starts anew. Evidently, it takes most people between four to eight months to go negative-free. According to the website, complaintfreeworld.org, the average person complains between 15 and 30 times a day. Wow! Who knew? Currently, over 11 million of these bracelets have been sold. Like I said….very late to the party.
Today is my Day One. And I am throwing in one caveat. Yes I will register my disdain for our current state of politics where we have a president that clearly obstructs justice and blatantly invites foreign countries to interfere in our elections. After two years of denying collusion, he unabashedly invites collusion! Of course, he is delusional.
Let Trump Be Trump was the rallying cry. Well, now we have a lunatic who has no idea what is in the Constitution, thinking he is Putin with absolute power. We have a Republican Party who is terrified of this nutcase. All the adults have left the room, only the sycophants remain. The party of law and order now subscribes to the Rule of Trump Law.
We have the religious right, the holier than thou Christians, who openly support a man who is a misogynist, a man who does not support religious freedom, a man who is clearly racist and will stab anyone in the back who is not totally loyal to him. What Would Jesus Do? Support this horrible example for our children? I don’t think so.
So, no, I will not stop being negative about our current state of affairs. To do so would be, in my opinion, un-American. It is our heritage to dissent and if that’s complaining, I’m fine with it.
On the other hand, I am up for the challenge where anything else is concerned. I don’t have the bracelet but I have a journal where I will jot down my lapses into negativity. Basically, I’m very curious to see just how average I am. Am I closer to 15 or 30? Hopefully, I’m well below average.
As I am sure you are well aware, negativity begets negativity. It’s highly contagious and it’s not enjoyable or amusing to live in that environment. Years back as a school administrator, I remember instituting Wonderful Wednesday…the one day a week where staff were asked not to complain. I loved it! Probably no one else did, but that was one day a week I truly looked forward to.
On my first day, everything was going swimmingly until I walked out onto our lanai to read the morning paper with my cup of Joe, sat down and looked over to the screen door. There, in front of God and the rest of the world, was a five foot long snake climbing up the screen. Of course, I screamed my bloody head off, running inside complaining bitterly about the Florida wildlife.
It’s Florida. They live here, too. ‘Nuff said. Quit yer complainin.’
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