lessons from the gym

when i'm at the gym, it's always a treat for me to rifle through the plethora of magazines the Y keeps on hand for us pseudo workout "maniacs" who need to be distracted from whatever physical activity we are so painstakingly participating in.

the other day, i found an old issue of "O." since my love for oprah has recently been rekindled with her book club selection "a new earth" and subsequent online classes with the author, i happily picked it up and situated myself on the stationery bike. as i flipped through the contents, i came upon an article about venting and complaining.

i tend to be a major venter and complainer. anything and everything.... whether it be an annoying co-worker, the slow driver who just won't get over into the right lane, or not having enough of the precious "me time" i so cherish.

for whiners such as myself, this article suggested trying out a week of NO COMPLAINING OUT LOUD. this seems like a tough mountain to climb, but the author's points were very intriguing. to paraphrase her words:

1. when you feel yourself needing to vent, write down the complaint.
2. ask yourself, "what can i do to change this situation for the better?'
3. if there's nothing you can do, let it go. what's the point? and if there is something you can do– stop complaining and DO IT!

i love her suggestion of channeling negative energy into positive energy, and of simply letting go of the negative stuff we can't control. (however, she did emphasize the importance of every once and a while "letting off steam," so it doesn't build up inside and eventually explode. she just put doing so in a new light.)

i'm going to give it a try!

it's a simple concept, but i've become an avid believer in the fact that it's the simple things that have the power to change lives....and the big stuff will fall into place eventually.