Life is a flower garden
your thoughts are the seeds.You'll reap what you sow,plant flowers not weeds.Accept what is-allow life to flow!Speak only delightWhere ever you go!
Speak no evil. When we speak ill,
gossip, and pass judgment on others we only hurt ourselves. It
demonstrates a lack of compassion, intolerance, and pettiness which
diminishes our character.
"Be impeccable with your word."~
don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements
When we cultivate acceptance, it will
begin to strangle the weeds of discontent. When we can begin to
accept that certain things in life are beyond our control, then we
can understand the uselessness of complaining about them. When
we complain, we are planting seeds of misery in our minds, and
spreading those seeds to other people. Complaining will amplify
your fixation on a negative circumstance. If you can change
what it is you are wishing were different, then have the courage to
do it. If you choose not to, then stop complaining. If
it's something beyond your control, then the complaining serves only
one purpose- to aggravate yourself and others around you.
Not only is complaining a waste of time
and energy, it’s detrimental to peace of mind. Whenever you
complain, you are planting weeds instead of seeds. You are
reinforcing negative thinking with every complaint you utter. Begin
to notice how you feel irritated when you complain about things.
This irritation is the root cause of stress in your life.
Stress is caused when the mind refuses to accept what is. When
we are constantly dwelling on things that are out of our control, we
plant seeds of discontent and anger. The events in our life do
not create our stress, our thoughts about these events are the seeds
of discontent.
Mom was right, "If you don't have
anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all."
Become aware of how your words affect
your emotions and those who hear them. It's not just gossip that
hurts, it's any complaint or negative comments about life in general.
Become aware of the power of your words. Words can hurt or words can
heal.
Lesson:
Complaining is a seed of discontent.
Exercise:
Begin to be aware of what you say.
Your words are a mirror of your mind. See if you can
notice how much you complain, and how others will complain about the
littlest things. Become aware of what type of conversations you
have with people. Are most of your conversations positive and
uplifting or are they mostly complaining about people or life in
general? Begin to notice how you feel when you complain about
things. How do you feel when others are complaining? All that is
required is to become aware of how complaining is contributing to
your level of stress. This is an awareness exercise. Raising your
awareness is the first step to complaining less. Awareness is the key
to getting your emotions under control. Don't judge yourself. Be
grateful that you are becoming aware of how stress originates and
that you have the power to begin living peacefully. The next few
chapters will teach you how to begin focusing on the positive aspects
of life.
