June 20: #27 No Complaining Day

Phil: I actually like this one and think it should be a staple every year. It’s something that I thought about a bunch throughout the year but when you actually commit to practice it, you realize how much of a difference it makes. You see something that you would normally complain about, even if it’s just to yourself in your own mind, and you diffuse it before you allow yourself to complain about it. Then you realize that by complaining about something, you’re making more room for it than you have to, and allowing it into your life in a bigger way than if you just let it go. It’s simple, and everything probably thinks, “Yeah I know.” But committing to this was pretty helpful again this year. So much so that when I complained about something trivial the next morning upon waking up, it felt really obvious to me and sort of stuck out as something I hadn’t done in a bit. Quit bitching. Sincerely, a bitcher.

Bruce: Last year Phil and I mutually felt this was one of the most beneficial and eye-opening experiences of the month. Perhaps because of the subsequent revelations of that, today was much less difficult for me. Someone read this challenge on my FB and said “are you aware of the political climate right now?!” Which I thought.. well you don’t have to complain, just have discussions about it! Be productive! I was listening to Malcom Gladwell’s podcast “Revisionist History” and the episode (listen here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/revisionist-history/id1119389968?mt=2&i=1000413733598) mentioned a relevant idea in that the pragmatic marine was described as loathing complaining and his only response to their complaining would be “okay, what will you do about it?”. That was my experience and strategy today while I was more aware of everyone else’s complaints since I was sworn not to complain along with them. All in all it again reminded me of a more productive way of feeling and living.

Tomorrow's challenge: #2 Go to some sort of museum