No-Complaining Experiment update! Day 6

It's been 6 days that I decided to take up an unusual challenge -- NO Complaining Experiment.

Basically, it means not being dissatisfied or getting annoyed about things in day to day life - for 21 days.

I decided to take up on this challenge because I wanted to be more self-aware and mindful of what I was putting out there. Creating a more positive life and eliminating negative statements.

If you'd like to follow along my journey, you are welcome to read my previous posts on my blog at AbeCherian.com .

Honestly, this one has not been as easy as I thought..

It's NOT a failure and I am NOT giving up. But here's what I am learning from this experiment.

I am more aware of the negativity that is ALREADY PROGRAMMED into our environment - so much so that our disagreement is a huge factor in connecting with people

I am learning that, NOTHING unites people more strongly than COMMON DISLIKES.

Imagine having a conversation with a friend and not acknowledging the dislikes they are experiencing...

Friend Says: "It's 100 degrees and hot outside and I hate living in this place"

You Say: "Oh well... It's hot.. and that's that"

That'll be too weird to maintain a relationship... because your friend will be much happier being with another person who agrees with him/her.

The other day, I was being interviewed for a podcast and found myself agreeing and disagreeing about numerous things in a complaining tone.

Complaining and getting annoyed about things comes AUTOMATICALLY to us.

It could very well be a SURVIVAL mechanism that we have adopted to live among other humans.

I believe even BUDDHA would have many things to complain about - since practicing "spiritual discrimination" is one of the spiritual tenants.

(In the spiritual sense, discrimination means sorting and avoiding negative behavior and thoughts)

According to a research done with no-complaining it is said that... "Griping comes naturally for us. During an average conversation, we lob complaints at each other about once a minute."

Wow!

Today is day 6 for me and I am still in this challenge... because I think what's important is that I am noticing things about myself that only my wife notices... and that's weird.

There's only 15 days left and I am sticking with my efforts not to complain about things.

"We are born crying, live complaining, and die disappointed." -- Thomas Fuller

Abe