Today let’s
trade our complaints for compliments!
The world may seem to be full of things to complain about (laundry, red
lights, screaming kids, dirty car), but if we truly stop our busy lives, take a
deep breath, and look around, we will see that there are hundreds, no millions,
more things to be thankful for than things to complain about.
The
dictionary defines these two words as follows:
·
Complaint: an expression of discontent, regret, or
grief
·
Compliment: an expression of praise, respect, and
admiration
When you
read these two definitions, what feelings do they evoke in you? The words “discontent, regret, and grief” create
in me feelings of sadness, stress, and gloom. But the words “praise, respect,
and admiration” all make me want to smile, creating feelings of joy, love, and
happiness. Would you rather live your
days surrounded by sadness, stress, and gloom, or you would you rather live a
life of joy, love, and happiness? That’s an easy answer for me! Now the choice
is yours, and only yours, as you are the ultimate decision maker for your own words
and thoughts.
Let’s look
at our word “trade out” for today with real life examples:
Situation
#1:
·
Complaint:
“Our house is mess, there is laundry everywhere, dishes are piled up, and the
carpet has stains on it.”
·
Compliment:
“I am blessed to have a home to live in with sturdy walls, a roof, heat, and a
bed to sleep in.”
Situation
#2:
·
Complaint:
“I have to drive my kids to so many events every day, and my husband is never
around to help out.”
·
Compliment:
“I am thankful that I have healthy kids are able to be involved in activities
and a husband that has a job to provide for our family.”
Life may
not ever be perfect, but how we respond to our daily imperfections will define
our happiness. Choose today to compliment, not complain! Each time a complaint
enters your mind, stop for moment, and just be quiet. Give the complaint time
to leave your body, and turn it into a compliment instead. Happiness is just a “trade out” of words away!
CHALLENGE:
Embracing the importance of “trading complaints for compliments”, here is a
tangible challenge for all of us. We
started the “All Compliments, No Complaints Jars” with our family this week,
and it is amazing how well it works (for them as well as ME and my husband)! Here’s
how to do it…
“All Compliments,
No Complaints Jars”:
1.
Designate
two jars, cups, or small containers for each member of your family (at least everyone
old enough understand complimenting and complaining), that includes you!
2.
On one
container, write the word “compliments” and on the other one “complaints”.
3.
Decorate
your containers any way you want (which is fun too!).
4.
Then
together decorate another container and filled it with quarters (or pennies,
dimes, nickels, whatever you have around).
5.
Every
time anyone says a compliment (expression of praise, respect, admiration)
or does a complimentary or nice action for someone else, they get to put a quarter
in their compliment jar. Every time
anyone says a complaint (expression of discontent, regret, grief), they
have to put a quarter in their complaint jar.
6.
On
Thanksgiving Day, each family member will be given all of the quarters in their
compliment jar and be able to buy themselves any prize that want with it. The money in their complaint jars will be
given away, and each family member will choose a charity or someone in need to
donate it to.
Attached
are a few pictures of our jars. This is
a great project to do with the whole family, but even if you don’t have kids,
this is a meaningful project for everyone to do. I think that I am learning as much, if not more,
than my kids about the power of my words through the “All Compliments, No
Complaints Jars.”
This
morning, I was asking the kids again to explain to me the importance of our
words and what the project of the “All Compliments, No Complaints Jars”
meant. Our four year old Harrison enthusiastically
said, “Mommy, it means no grumpy words, all happy words!” I loved that explanation
and told them that this would be our new motto for our words for now on.
So today
and every day, let us all strive to live out Harrison’s motto and have “no
grumpy words, all happy words”!
Blessings
for a complaint-free day!
Your
grateful friend,
Amy
“From the fruit of his words, a man eats good
things.” (Proverbs 13: 2a)
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