The "Ain't It Awful!" Habit

Yesterday, I was out at a store and I heard one of the clerks talking with a customer.

Clerk: "People just don't care. They come in here and they leave stuff all over the place and then I have to go in and pick up after them."

Customer: "I know it! I can see that. They just don't care."

Clerk: "And I have to be here till closing at 8. Picking up stuff and picking up more stuff."

I drifted away from the conversation about that time, but not before I realized that this was another version of what I call the "Ain't It Awful!" conversation.

The "Ain't It Awful!" conversation usually goes something like this:

"Can you believe the economy? It's so awful. Everywhere I look I see troubles."

or

"Those kids! They are just so disrespectful. I don't know what's happening to society these days."

I used to be a member of the "Ain't It Awful!" club. Full-time and card-carrying, I'd join in when I heard those conversations, believing what they were saying. I thought that if I joined in the conversation, I'd be connected to the people - we'd share something in common.

Well, we did. But I discovered that I then had friends that I really didn't want to hang out with, because they loved talking about what was wrong with life.

Somewhere along the way, I discovered Unity church. Now there was a bunch of positive people! I realized that I didn't want to be a card-carrying member of the "Ain't It Awful!" club anymore. So, for the next 15 years, I worked on being more conscious of my thoughts and my conversations.

Then about three years ago, I discovered Abraham-Hicks's work, and decided I'd really up the ante. I'd seriously pay attention to what I was thinking because as I knew that as I paid attention to my thoughts and my vibration, my life would really change and become more and, better. I knew that I would seriously begin to consciously co-create my dreams and desires into being at an even greater level than I already had been doing.

And it happened. In the beginning, I realized how very, very much I liked to complain. About anything. That shocked me, because I thought I was already a pretty positive person. But the truth was, I had a major complaining habit. (This was a step up from the "Ain't It Awful!" habit I had had earlier in my life, but it was still not working for me.)

Slowly, I began to change. At first, I didn't want to hang out with people who complained. Then I realized that I would not be hanging out with anybody if I did that (not even myself!). So, I let that ideal go and just focused on my own responses and thoughts to a person or a situation.

It worked. I offered compassion instead of judgment (when I can) to those complaining around me. And when I'm complaining, I say to myself "Now, Anne, it's ok. You are just fine. Everything is just fine. Let it go." Usually, that works. Sometimes, however ... well, let's just say, I've either been triggered and I'm in an emotional reaction or I'm just not interested in changing my judgment in that moment.

This is a process. Let me repeat that. It is a P-R-O-C-E-S-S. This means that it takes time. It is a re-training of how to think, how to be.

And that's ok. You're just fine. Everything is fine. See if you can let go of any presumption that it has to be done right here, right now, in this red-hot minute. For indeed, all is well.