If you don’t like something, change it.
If you can’t change it, change your attitude.
Don’t complain.– Maya Angelou

Check out this website. The above quote from Maya Angelou was the inspiration for a simple idea that has been spreading around the world. Put a simple rubber bracelet (or rubber band) on your wrist, and follow these instructions:

1. Begin to wear the bracelet on either wrist.
2. When you find yourself complaining, gossiping or criticizing, move the bracelet to the other wrist and begin again.
3. If you hear someone else wearing a purple bracelet complain, it’s okay to point out their need to switch the bracelet to the other arm: BUT if you are going to do this, you must move your bracelet first! Because you are complaining about their complaining!
4. Stay with it. It will take many months to get to 21 consecutive days. The average is 4 to 8 months!

As usual, I realized that tapping would make the above process easier to follow, and potentially more successful. It is a variation on the method above, but I think there is always a better chance of changing a habit if I change the energy associated with the habit first.

So, try this. Do Step 1 and 2, with the added step of tapping after you change to the other wrist. For example, if I catch myself complaining about the cold weather out loud, I would switch to the other wrist and immediately start tapping:

The last part is a technique I learned from one of the original EFT Masters, Carol Look. She discovered that it sometimes helps to tap back and forth with the conflict involved in giving up a bad habit. If I say on one tapping point: I really want to stop smoking…, I can say on the next tapping point: No, I don’t! and then on the following point: Yes, I do!

I find it useful sometimes to totally acknowledge the ambivalence.

If you would like to try this challenge with me, put a simple bracelet or a rubber band on your wrist and see if you can last a number of days without complaining, criticizing or gossiping. It isn’t easy. It took me a very long time to get past one day! As soon as you switch wrists, you are back to Day 1. There is free “Complaint Free World Widget” that you can download on your computer to help you keep track.

Please e-mail me and tell me how you are doing with this challenge: kiya@eft-tap.com.

Happy New Year,

Kiya