The principle goes like this: when you use “right speech,” and eliminate complaining from your life, you will enjoy happier relationships, better health and greater prosperity. There is actually a worldwide movement that uses a simple programme to helps people set a trap for their own negativity, thereby redirecting their minds towards living a more positive and rewarding life.
The ‘Complaint Free World' movement was begun by the Reverend Will Bowen, of Christ Church Unity, who says: “We all complain, right? It's just human nature. The one thing we can all agree on is there's too much complaining.” To encourage his congregation to allow more positive thoughts to determine their reality, he challenged them to stop complaining, criticising or gossiping for 21 consecutive days. (Three weeks is believed to be enough time to eliminate
a bad habit.)
The challenge has since exploded in popularity and, to date, over four million people wear the purple bracelets that are associated with the movement. “This is our gift to the world,” says Bowen. “We're not out to raise money. We want to raise consciousness.”
When Bowen appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he said he saw positive results in the people who took on his challenge: “When they eradicated complaining in their lives, they truly became happier.” This is because “if you are not articulating the complaint, if your complaint has nowhere to go, your mind stops creating the complaint”.
And now O, The Oprah Magazine, South Africa, wants to spread the complaint-free philosophy here, by including a complimentary purple bracelet in the February issue, on sale 23 January 2008. “We want our readers to help make South Africa a better place by encouraging them to not complain as much and to rather be positive about themselves and our country,” says O editor, Thami Ngubeni. It is hoped that this initiative becomes something we can all do, as a nation, to make South Africa an even better place to live.
A Complaint Free World, inc. is a non-profit organisation, which provides the Complaint Free purple bracelets and other materials to help people affect positive change in their lives. For more information on the worldwide Complaint Free movement, visit the website at: www.AComplaintFreeWorld.org.
