For this month the challenge was to stay positive, see the bright side of things, and to not complain.
I know this is a hard task in a time like this. Lots and lots of people are suffering, lots of us are quarantined, and others still have to go to work in these dangerous times. When I started this challenge things were not as bad as they are now, but it seems fitting.
Staying positive, while challenging ourselves is one of the best things we can do in a time like this. Being negative and complaining will just make you and those around you feel like things are even worse. Furthermore, it will bring both of your spirits down and could even create complications. After all it is hard to be around people that are negative all the time and if you complain people just tend to think worse of you and it’s harder to get along, unfortunately.
Some of the side effects of negativity and complaining are:
- It rewires your brain to have more negative associations
- It makes your overall mood worse
- It affects those around you
- It leads to higher stress levels
- It is mentally taxing
- Makes you seem ungrateful
- Hurts other people’s feelings and moods
- Makes things seem worse than they are
- Discredits others who are worse off than you
- Leads you towards depression
It leads you down a rabbit hole of negativity that seemingly never ends.
On the flip side staying positive and complimenting people has the opposite effect so focus on doing that!
I know things might be tough, but for you and all those around you please try to stay positive and don’t complain it will make all the difference.
As for my experience of this challenge I found it sometimes hard to not complain. Not that I wasn’t staying positive, but more than I would tease and make jokes about little stuff that I noticed some people would take as complaining. I tried hard to not complain and I caught myself many times before saying something negative. Whether a joke or not it’s not really helpful and not everyone will think it’s funny.
I did notice a few times when working or helping people out that I refrained from complaining and people actually acknowledged that I didn’t complain and complimented me on it. (It seems this is a bad habit I’ve had for a while)
Just try to catch yourself before you complain and either don’t say it or think of something positive to say instead.
So I encourage you try your best not to complain and make the world a better place.
Remember, we are on this personal development journey towards excellence together and I am here to help if you need anything. Take care.