Stories. Stories are the best cure! Find yourself wanting to snap at your spouse? Stop talking and go read a book. You can’t argue when you’re reading. (And you can’t hear anyone being annoying if you read hard enough.) Having trouble talking about your feelings? Start with, “Once upon a time . . . .” […]
On a June Sunday this summer, I got home from Scout camp with Husband and Thing Two, and for the next day or so I felt cranky and out of sorts. Really unpleasant-to-be-around cranky. I thought maybe it had to do with the state of my house, which had reached critical mess, as it often […]
I believe that letting kindness guide my actions, rather than focusing on whether or not things are fair, will lead to fewer visits from Grumblings. I’ve often thought that I place too much emphasis on fairness when it comes to small things. I’m not talking about society, justice and the law. I’m talking specifically about […]
I firmly believe that we can all change if we really want to. It took some big, fluffy beach towels to remind me that sometimes a tiny shift, a simple change to my mental filing system, is all it takes to stop a grumble. I like the idea that we can all change. But the actual […]
It’s been almost five months since I started this blog, and every time I write a post I learn something. I’ve learned that what I think I’m going to write often isn’t what I need to write — that is to say, I may think I’ve gotten to the bottom of something, but a different truth […]
Why even bother trying to stop grumbling? Why not say hello to Grumblings the dragon and live in harmony instead of constantly fighting to banish him? My personal quick answer is because grumbling isn’t good for me. There’s nothing harmonious about my grumbling under the influence of that sneaky dragon, nor does my grumbling lead to harmony […]
This week, in my quest to find the good, I’m looking at gratitude as a tool to defend against Grumblings. I keep a gratitude journal, off and on. When I use it, I do so right before I take my glasses off for sleep. I find it helps me go to sleep in a positive […]
Why does grumbling matter? It may start small, but grumbling to myself can avalanche into such a bad mood that I perceive everything negatively. Grumbling gains power and affects everyone around me. When I’m grumbling, I have real trouble seeing the good, and I’m certainly nowhere near my best self, as you’ll see below. The […]