Stop Complaining and Start Changing

One of the key things that I learned while doing CBT (Cognitive Behavorial Therapy) was that I am in control of my own thoughts, feelings, and actions and that I have the power to change things in my life that I am not happy with. I spent a lot of years believing that I was destined to be a certain way, when that is not the case at all. None of us are destined. We have the power to change things. The challenge for this week is to stop complaining about the things in your life that you do not like and start taking steps to change them. Write down three things in your life that you are upset about, not content with, or that you want to change. Write down and think about how you are handling those issues now and why the way that you are handling them is not working. Then come up with a plan to change your thoughts, attitudes, and actions. I will share with you the things that I am working on as examples (with the changes that I am planning on making in parentheses).

1. I have gained back about 20 pounds of the 50 pounds that I lost two years ago. I complain about the weight gain and how it makes my back hurt and makes me feel “blah” most of the time, yet I spend my evenings eating in front of the TV. (Do not turn on the TV unless there is something specific on that I want to watch – spend that “TV time” going for walks with my husband and the kids or doing yoga)

2. I would like to have a closer relationship with my children, yet I spend my evenings watching TV in my room with the door closed while the kids watch TV in their rooms. (have “no TV days” where the family plays games together or goes hiking in the mountains)

3. I complain about the amount of debt that we have, yet we go somewhere nearly every weekend just to have something to do and we buy things that we really don’t need. We also spend way too much money on take-out food. (find inexpensive ways to entertain ourselves or work on projects at home – cook more meals together and eat together at the dining room table)

I have heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting different results. I spent way too many years being insane … going to try something new.