Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Entries from March 1, 2009 - April 1, 2009

Entries from March 1, 2009 - April 1, 2009

Friday
Mar132009

A Week of No Complaining Day 4: Gratitude

Day 4 was easy. I drove 6 hours round trip to rent an apartment with my daughter and her roommates for college next year. There was another mom n the trip. While I hate to drive, if all I have to do point the car and steer, I am fine. Even though the day itself was not all wine and roses, I was so grateful for the easy drive, for one day I was completely without complaint.

Gratitude tends to drive out complain. I do have much to be grateful for.

38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8

Have you experienced gratitude driving out complaining?

Wednesday
Mar112009

A Week of No Complaining Day 3: I Feel Powerless

Without being freely able to complain to and about my kids I find I have a lot less to say! That is not bad thing. My ESSV has been diligent in her role as self appointed monitor for the week. Her exertions on my behalf have curbed my natural desire to justify words of aggravation spoken aloud to the deserving party.

This does beg the question: What is the difference between complaining and correction? For current example: If our resident semi-adult leaves the coffee maker on all night again, how does one communicate that this is a dangerous , thoughtless, foolish, unwise over site on her part and I wish it to stop immediately or please do not use the coffee maker at night. Words to this effect have in no way led to the desired change in behavior.

I am beginning to see I complain because I feel hopeless to effect change without extreme measures on my part. Leaving the coffee maker on all night is a safely issue as well a misuse of freely provided hospitality. I could hide the coffee or coffee maker. Not a bad if silly solution. The odds of me remembering to do so are nil. I could stay up all night to ensure coffee if made, the maker is turned off. I could buy a coffee maker with an automatic off switch. All these solutions involve I and not the semi-adult who persists in making coffee at night and not turning off the coffee maker. Hence the complaining.

I am stumped.

How do you deal with semi-adults (or other adults) and their thoughtlessness without complaining or taking silly extreme measures?

I am offering a contest (inducement) to e-card users, leave a comment 1 entry, write a post and link either in a comment . Twitter, tweet, facebook, stumble etc 2 more enteries, just leave a comment telling what you did. 2 lucky randomly chosen winners will get 500ec’s each. All entrants will get a shout out link in a summery post next week.

Tuesday
Mar102009

A Week of No Complaining: Day 2

I am well into the first 48 hours of the16 8 hours of no complaining. This is what I have learned so far. I think there are a lot of things wrong in my world. Little things, annoying things, people related things. Mostly because of the people I am related to.

I don’t grumble about the state of the world but the state of my kid’s rooms. I don't gripe about the economy as a whole as much as the tenuous state of my husband’s job, working for a “global company that is moving all its jobs off shore but still expects the tax benefits of being an American company”. The teen not taking out the garbage without being told is a drip, drip, drip of aggravation on my soul.

My world is small and my complaints are petty. I think this may be because my prayers are petty and my view of God is smaller than I previously realized. Being aware of what I regularly grumble about, the habit of kvetching (love that word) if you will, has slowed me down enough to think about why I do what I do.

What do you think is worth complaining about?

I can’t get the Mr Linky to work. Sigh

Of you want, try not complaining for 24 hours. I would love to hear about your experiences.

I am offering a contest (come on) to e-card users, leave a comment 1 entry, write a post and link either in a comment . Twitter, tweet, facebook, stumble etc 2 more enteries, just leave a comment telling what you did. 2 lucky randomly chosen winners will get 500ec’s each. All entrants will get a shout out link in a summery post next week.

Monday
Mar092009

A Week of No Complaining: Day 1

Wow, I didn’t realize just how much I mutter about things. To be honest, and I really prefer just to lie, I didn’t make it out the door for church yesterday without some complaining. How did I know this you might ask? How did I have suddenly become so self- aware?

One of my kids reads my blog. I now have my own personal complaint monitor. I have heard, “You are not supposed to be complaining” more than I care to admit. Thank you External Still Small Voice (hereafter ESSV). This experiment would not be as effective without your gleeful, unsolicited participation.

What is humbling and kind of embarrassing is how much I complain about the petty thing my kids do (mostly aren’t doing).

How does one confront the minor irritations of living with teens without becoming a whinny person herself?

My ESST this thoroughly enjoying herself!

I am offering a contest (incentive) to e-card users, leave a comment 1 entry, write a post and link either in a comment . Twitter, tweet, facebook, stumble etc 2 more enteries, just leave a comment telling what you did. 2 lucky randomly chosen winners will get 500ec’s each. All entrants will get a shout out link in a summery post next week.

Friday
Mar062009

A Week of No Complaining: Getting It Out Of My System

It is a little scary to contemplate stopping complaining cold turkey. I have to get a last few kvetches in or out as the case may be.

Why are you starting home work now, it is your bed time!

Why is there no gas in my car?

I told you to take out the garbage! Why do I have to say it again?

Am I the only one capable of noticing the sink is full of dishes!

Get off the (fill in the blank)……phone, counter, my nerves, your brother's nerves

She asked you to her prom, why are you paying for the tickets……

You are going to be late! Again!

Were are all the clean towels?

You are working late again. Poor baby. Meanwhile on the inside....do you have any idea how hard is is to be a married single parent...sigh.

Anyone else have any lasts complaints?

I will be offering a contest (bribe) to e-card users, leave a comment 1 entry, write a post and link either in a comment or the hopefully up Mr. Linky 2 entries. Twitter, tweet, facebook, stumble etc 2 more enteries, just leave a comment telling what you did. 2 lucky randomly chosen winners will get 500ec’s each. All entrants will get a shout out link in a summery post the following week.

Still haven't mentioned my adventure to my husband.

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