Tales Of A Fourth Generation Textile Executive: The 2018 ‘Complaining Diet’

January 8, 2018 /

A new year is a time when many people make resolutions.  I imagine that most desire to lose weight, eat healthier or be a better person.  Losing weight is my year-round mission.  It is unfortunately a constant battle, one that I often lose.   I just love food.   What can I say?   I digress.  This is why I am so excited about the 2018 ‘complaining diet’ which should be a cake walk compared to all the diets that came before it.

I was recently reading some CNBC articles and there was an one by Deepak Chopra and Kabir Sehgal, two gentlemen with extensive backgrounds on a multitude of subjects.  The article was called, Going On A ‘Complaint Diet’ Will Make Your More Successful in 2018.  The focus was on breaking a bad habit that many of us have, including your’s truly, of excessive complaining.

The first point is that complaining is really just a bad habit.  I am sure you know a person that complains a lot and you could probably think of many others that don’t complain at all.  The thing is that this makes you become a Debbie downer and you become trained to always be looking for things to complain about.  I could totally relate to this to this complaint cycle.

I have noticed lately that my tolerance for other people’s obnoxious use of technology makes me psychotic.  This happens a lot when I am on the train to work.  The guy next to me will be sending a text and he has his volume on his phone so I have to endure beep-beep-beep-beep every time he hits the keyboard.  I just can’t.  Or the guy who thinks it is okay to watch a video at full volume with 100 other people around.  Or the guy that listens to music at some ungodly decibel with his headphones on.  The worst part is that the people often don’t even realize and they just don’t care because why should they care about me or anyone else for that matter?  This can last for my entire train ride and by the time I get off the train I am ready to murder someone.  This is not a good way for me to start or finish my day.  Can you relate to this?

The second point is that complaining is unhealthy because it causes you to stress and gets your hormones all out of whack.  Yes, this is real.  It also causes you to lose friends because they can’t bear to listen to an excessive complainer…it just gets too annoying.  The article goes on to say that it is time for a reset with the help of the ‘complaint diet.’  Makes sense, right?

The last and most important point of the article was where the authors identified the 4 critical ingredients to a successful ‘complaint diet.’  By following these steps, you will focus on the positive and not the negative.

  1. Close your eyes and notice how you feel when there is a complaint brewing.
  2. Realize that you probably can’t do much about the issue at hand.
  3. Breath in and breath out and just let it go.  Serenity now (Seinfeld reference.)  Ahhhhhhh!  Doesn’t that feel good?
  4. Repeat to yourself that for which you are grateful.  (Optional).

If you ask me, this doesn’t sound all that hard.  I am going to start this right now and I expect the complaint lbs. to drop quickly.  I hope you try it too if this applies to you.  Finally, please note that this was not aimed at any of my customers at all as we don’t get any complaints EVER!  Have a great week and let me know how you progress on the easiest diet ever.

Regards,

Complaint-Free Scott

P.S.  In light of this blog post, I will not complain, nor will I accept complaints either.  So please complain to someone else.  This complaint hotline is closed.

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20 Comments

  • Teri Walker

    January 19, 2018 at 8:19 pm

    This sounds like a great way to kick off the new year. I’m all in. I have heard of wearing a bracelet of sorts on one hand and if you complain you have to move it to the other hand. It may make it more conscious of not complaining .

  • Mary M

    January 19, 2018 at 8:05 pm

    I enjoy reading your blog posts even though I am just a small time designer! Your comments about complaining certainly hit a chord with me. Having dealt with health issues including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lymes, and Adrenal Insufficiency, I spent years trying to figure out how to live a life. One day the angel of great wisdom knocked me over the head and I realized that it was bad enough to have so little energy every day, but that it was worse to expend any energy I did have on complaining! So everytime I ran into a really irritating situation, I started asking myself if I really wanted to spend the energy I had on complaining. It took some practice (and I don’t mean to say I don’t occasionally have a moment!) but I feel so much happier and more in control of my life knowing I can actually choose not to complain, etc. Life is just too precious and short to spend energy complaining about things that one really can’t change. After all I could be designing or quilting with that energy! Good luck with your new ‘pursuit’!

  • Barbara Esposito, The Quilted B

    January 9, 2018 at 8:42 am

    Interesting about the “Power of Negativity” study. I suspect it is because of the proverbial squeaky (read that complaining) wheel getting the oil. But in the end, who is happy? I believe that optimism and contentment go hand in hand, and they beget peacefulness. I have been of late trying to curb my cravings for complaining too. Thanks for the timely encouragement!

    • Scott Fortunoff

      January 9, 2018 at 9:48 am

      Morning Barb,
      I will have to see what that article says about the Power of Negativity.
      As for the complaining, we just have to take it one day at a time.
      Have a great week.
      Scott

  • Nancy Hart Kline

    January 8, 2018 at 11:34 pm

    I choose to live by the Serenity Prayer–accepting that which I can not change, courage to challenge that which I can change, and the wisdom to know the difference. Becomes a pretty good way to live.

  • Janie M

    January 8, 2018 at 9:01 pm

    Good for you! I just asked my husband if I complain. His response.. “You never complain, I do.” I then told him about your new diet. I hope it works for him! Eeep

  • Donna Marshall

    January 8, 2018 at 1:48 pm

    I am going on this diet Scott! I will share this with my coworkers and recruit as many as I can. HAHAHA!

  • Joanne Hubbard

    January 8, 2018 at 11:20 am

    I like this kind of diet and may even be successful at it, compared to the losing weight diet. 🙂 Your timing is perfect, as I just read an article called “The Power of Negativity – Why Pessimists Win” by Sarah Adler. Surprisingly, the article states that optimism is not all that it’s cracked up to be and studies (30 year old studies) show lower earning potential and greater health risks for optimistic people. Not what I expected, but also not what I believe to be the case.

    I have no desire or intent to purposely be negative to anyone or about anything. My blog name is Everyone Deserves a Quilt; and since a quilt is basically a fabric hug, how could I possibly be negative while giving a hug?

    Have a wonderful week!

    • Scott Fortunoff

      January 8, 2018 at 12:46 pm

      Hi Joanne,
      That’s very interesting. Can you send me a link to that article? Kind of like the nice guy finishing last sort of thing.
      Well, not everyone is a complainer and maybe you aren’t. In that case, this diet is not for you.
      Have a great week.
      Scott

    • Joanne Hubbard

      January 8, 2018 at 10:19 pm

      Here’s the link: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/01/the-power-of-negativity/546560/

      Oh, don’t get me wrong. I can definitely be a complainer. I’ve just been trying to make a concerted effort to catch when I’m doing it and stop. It really is basically a bad habit that takes time and energy to stop. I also think that you may be right that age has something to do with it. No matter how much I try, I just can’t seem to get any younger. 🙂

    • Scott Fortunoff

      January 9, 2018 at 9:46 am

      Morning Joanne,
      Thanks for sharing. I will be sure to read that article later. Catching yourself complaining isn’t easy, but if you could do that, more the power to you. I try to catch myself too. I keep saying it, but I think as I get older, I complain more. I have less patience.
      Scott

  • Tana Mueller

    January 8, 2018 at 11:02 am

    Life is too short to complain and be stress over things you don’t control. Positive attitudes are always winning! Excellence is not a skill it is all about the attitude. We got this~ bring it on 2018!
    Many hugs

    • Tabatha

      January 8, 2018 at 1:27 pm

      Tana ,
      For as long as I have known you , I don’t know that I have ever heard you complain about hardly anything. YOU have always been an uplifter . Miss ya! Tabatha