Month One - No Complaining, Gossip or Judgement

Ok, starting my year of monthly resolutions, January is going to be one that I work on cutting out complaining. It seems easier to start with considering it's my birthday month. Sugar, alcohol, TV, could all be deemed too difficult to keep in a birthday month. However, complaining isn't that easy because it rolls off the tongue before you realize it. So far I have to keep reminding myself to be mindful of what I say. I'm not a huge complainer I don't think so I am going to add gossip and judgement to the list as well. This process is supposed to hurt a little and create change. I've already broken the gossip rule but that is before I added it so I'll start now. Should be interesting.......

Later: I just got home from a friends and I gossiped and complained! How arduous! How serious am I about this? Very, I would hope...yet, how quickly I fail. The reason I want to do this particular test is about an article I read about if you cease complaining, you make change instead. If I don't say that my children are picky eaters, I try to find ways to change the behavior. The friends that I talk to though feel the need to say...when you talk to me, you are just venting, just having a sounding board. They want to validate the conversations we have. True, yet is it a help to be validated or a hindrance? So many of us put in a thought or omission to our friends and they back us up or compare our lives to others. The help? Makes us feel normal, validated. The harm? Just one more notch toward being catty, justified in being judgemental. I say if it makes you feel a little gross after, then it's not cool. I've had anxiety problems, I know the consequence of holding it in, believe me. But there is a fine line, I believe. Not to mention, the husband, who is totally against, emotion, reflection and the like, thought we were nuts talking about parents, other friend relationships, children and the like. Trust me, several years ago I would have gagged also. I sit here living the life that I dreaded with all of my might. Reflection and talking is the only thing that gets me through, for sure. I just long to do it with integrity and not have the feeling of being like a clucking hen when I'm done. I resolve to do better tomorrow......