A Complaint Free World

“If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain." —Maya Angelou

Hello!

     During all of these wonderful snow days, I read the self-help book called A Complaint Free World.  It was recommended by a good friend and fabulous educator who said that this book changed her life.  It was quick and easy to read and had a lot of practical advice as well as statistics about complaining and its effects on the world.  In one section the author, Will Bowen, explains that "most people claim to want prosperity, but spend most of their waking hours complaining about what they already have.  In doing so, they repel rather than attract prosperity."  He continues with a quote by Dr. Wayne Dyer that says "If you're not happy with what you have, than why would you want more?"  I am a strong believer in that we become the words that we say so they should be positive and optimistic.  Realistically, this is certainly easier said than done, especially when one is having a bad day.

Russell and I are ready for our Complaint Free Challenge!  I have a feeling it will be pretty easy for him.

     Throughout the book, Bowen describes ways to combat complaining.  The first way: to be aware of how much and how often you complain.  In order to do this, he began the Complaint Free Challenge, where people can buy bracelets ($10 for 10 bracelet which includes shipping and handling) off of the website to help one be aware of their complaints.  You put the bracelet on your wrist and each time you complain, you move it to the other wrist which means that you start back at Day 1.  The challenge is to go 21 straight days without complaining.  If you do something for 21 days straight, scientists believe it will become a habit.  There is also a widget you can download on your computer to help you keep track of your days.  Sounds easy, right?  Wrong!  Most people spend many days at Day 1 and then once they move on, can lapse back to the beginning again.  The challenge is to not give up.  Imagine what the world would be like if everyone irradiated, or at least minimized, their complaining?!
     How does this relate to education and schools, you might ask?  While reading this book, I thought about my students' attitudes towards some assessments and how their mood usually impacts their performance.  When I hand my students a writing prompt and they immediately groan, I notice that their scores are not as high as expected.  In contrast, when the students are excited or confident about the project that they are undertaking, their scores skyrocket.  In order to help promote this positive dialogue, I started having my students repeat optimistic mantras before tests or writing prompts such as "I can do this!", "I know exactly what to do!" or "I am going to do great!".  We would say them aloud throughout the year and I noticed that some students started whispering them on their own as the year continued.
     To teach complaining to children, Bowen created a Complaint Free Curriculum for schools.  The curriculum is modified for multiple grade levels and has various activities to engage students.  There are journal prompts, hands-on activities, discussions, and quotes to analyze.  The ten lessons can be done back to back, combined to make a larger lesson, or spaced out if there are time constraints.  Each one is unique and creative, and students can easily understand and practice being complaint free.  This positivity is crucial to any classroom environment, especially with the new demands that every teacher and student faces.  Instead of focusing on all that needs to be taught or learned, we can put our energy towards all that we have accomplished and all that we know.
     Now, for those of you that know me, I can certainly do my share of complaining, especially about specific people in my life.  Writing this post, I do not want to sound like a hypocrite, because stopping complaints is quite a difficult thing to do.  I do believe in Bowen's mission, however, and I feel that limiting the complaints that I say can make my world, as well as the worlds of the people around me, much nicer.  I ordered my complaint free bracelet and am ready to begin!  I am excited to tell my students about my undertaking.  Even though I will not instruct using the curriculum just yet, I hope that my students become curious and interested in my challenge because I would love to share my journey with them.

(http://www.amazon.com/Complaint-Free-World-Complaining-Enjoying/dp/0770436390/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423493058&sr=8-1&keywords=complaint+free+world)

     A Complaint Free World is a great read for anyone who wants to inspire more positivity and optimism in their life.  To find out more, visit the accompanying website by clicking HERE.  Please share your Complaint Free Journey with me so others can be motivated and emboldened to join in.

Enjoy!