Oh quit your complaining!

Have you ever challenged yourself to NOT do something, such that it made you realize how unthinking the usual activity is? 

My wife challenged us both to not complain for 24 hours. It was hard.

The idea started with a friend trying to break a bad habit, the conversation around his actively taking charge of his own life grew into a discussion in my house about the need to maintain a more positive outlook and open attitude, as a means to accomplish a goal that seems insurmountable.

That morphed into a comment that we have so much to be thankful for in our lives and that complaining about the little things is a waste of our internal healing energy (as the Chinese call it, our "qi").

So we both decided to try to limit, and hopefully eliminate, complaints for a 24-hour period. We restated comments in our conversations to bring about more positive change and optimism, rather than carp about what wasn't good, right or fair.

Traffic, crime, weather, summer humidity, human weaknesses, political events and world news reports...all of these make us think and act negatively--if we let them do so.

Family get-togethers, healthy habits, business successes, optimism, developing opportunities, new ideas and happy endings...all of these make us happy--if we let them do so.

As the day wore on, we tried to restate the "bad" statements in more positive formats. We found the upside in the down. We had sunshine on a cloudy day.

It took reorienting our thoughts and holding our tongues. She did better than I did. (I expected that.) But it exposed the knee-jerk tendency I have to be critical, rather than see the bright side. 

No nearby parking space? Rather than express frustration, make it no problem-say to yourself, "At least I was able to find a space and have the capability to walk to the door."

Try it. No grousing for a day. No business grumbling. It's a universal challenge that everyone can try and one that leads you to think outside the battered box. Perhaps my and your outlook and/or business will improve. A new habit.

Yes, I know this Post is not in keeping with my usual LinkedIn topics...I hope you agree with me, at least for 24 hours!

_________________________

About Marc W. Halpert, LinkedIn Trainer and Evangelist

I am a “multi-preneur,” (www.linkedin.com/in/marchalpert) having started 3 companies, all of which I continue to operate. My latest business, connect2collaborate, spreads my LinkedIn and networking evangelism worldwide to train and coach others to better explain their brand and positioning on their LinkedIn profile pages:

• as an “evangelist” recognized by LinkedIn to help nonprofits cultivate talent pool, volunteers, boards and corporate sponsors.
• as a LinkedIn corporate trainer
• as a coach helping professional practitoners use LinkedIn to better achieve their goals.
• as a high-energy speaker at conferences.
• as a volunteer coaching and teaching the underemployed to master new better career objectives.

I blog daily on LinkedIn topics to encourage readers towards a more beneficial use of this amazing tool. I speak about LinkedIn at public events and private corporate sessions too. I was very pleased to be named to the LinkedIn 200 and I anticipate my book for the American Bar Association on LinkedIn marketing techniques for law and professional practice firms and consultants will be published in fourth quarter 2016.

Have a great 24 hours!