With my efforts to refrain from complaining, I am realizing how hard it can be to not complain. Without realizing it, we get into these habits – habits we don’t necessarily want to cultivate. The habit I’ve gotten into is letting the negative be more important or memorable than the positive.
I’ve always thought of myself as a positive person. While in college, I was appointed the Happy Heart chair in one of my groups – which meant I was in charge of making sure everyone had a happy heart at all times. 🙂 My friends nicknamed me “Sunshine,” and I’ve always been known for being quick and generous with smiles and hugs.
Yet I think that when I am in one place for a long time, I start to lose my rose-colored glasses and some of my natural positivity. (When I refer to “one place,” I usually mean a job or a city, but I think this can refer to when I am in a mental/physical/spiritual rut as well.) The longer I stay in one place, the more I am prone to notice things that are negatives – annoying policies at work, co-workers being “not nice,” etc. So it becomes harder to be positive all the time.
Yesterday, a co-worker said something that really frustrated me. Instead of snapping at her, or going back to my office and fuming for two hours (which I’ve done), I tried to answer her in a 
positive and constructive way. Then I moved on with my day. That felt so much better than obsessing about this interaction or perseverating on how annoyed I was.
Today, I am once again committing to look for the positive and to refrain from complaining – for the sake of my happiness and for others, too.
