What’s Up With This Not Complaining, Anyway?

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My mother-in-law, Joanna Mitchell MacLaughlin, died on 08 October 2013.  One of the most common themes in all the eulogies of her was that she never complained. About anyone, or anything.  Never.  She never said an unkind word.

I thought about that.  I tried once to go 30 days without complaining and lasted a week.  Even then, I had to cheat.  Does complaining in one’s own head count? Yessss.  But not if nobody knows about it!  If a tree falls in the empty forest….Yes, it still makes a sound.

So, I launched a quest to go a year without complaining and before starting, told two people on the planet about my quest.  One was my webmistress, the great Annie Wilson of X-Site-D.com.  She’s marvelous!  I need her to help me get this website going. The other waKevin of Qwknet which hosts this site, and helped me get WordPress established.  I swore them both to secrecy and forged ahead.

I didn’t make it through the first year without complaining, but I learned a lot.  I kept going, trying to hold myself accountable.  Eventually, I learned so much that I continued the process.  Now rather than just trying to go a year without complaining, I’m on a #JourneyToJoy.

Come along!

All entries on this site are copyright, 2014 – 2022 Corinne Corley, aka the Missouri Mugwump(tm).  My writing is available for license.  Please contact me at: ccorleyjd@gmail.com.  Thank you!

18 thoughts on “What’s Up With This Not Complaining, Anyway?

  1. Katrina taggart

    What a wonderful quest, Corinne. I’ll send you lots of positive energy and encouragement. All new habits start somewhere, so this is yours. Go forth and conquer. How may I support you along the way?

    Reply
    1. ccorleyjd365 Post author

      Katrina, thank you. Just raise your eyebrows at me from time to time if you hear me slipping! Also, would you subscribe to this blog? That would be awesome. I’m going to start publicizing it soon, but in the meantime, I am asking my friends to suscribe to it which will start building its visibility on the internet and also give me some feedback about the events that I am describing. Just go to the page titled SUBSCRIBE: If I don’t hear from you, I’ll Complain (just kidding)! And you should be able to enter your e-mail address. Others have, so I think that feature is working. When you give me positive feedback, it meets my need for validation of my effort, and I feel happy because I have been needing to know if this is a worthwhile quest and that helps me see that it is!

      Reply
      1. Cindy Cieplik

        This is exciting Corinne! Very glad to subscribe, and I love your first quest. There is a book by Will Bowen, “A Complaint Free World.” May be of interest to you…my best wishes to you, as always!

        Reply
  2. Linda C Overton

    Sounds like a real challenge. I will send you all the energy I can to help you stay strong. Since you have my darling brother working for you, it could take a real effort on your part. JK

    Reply
  3. ccorleyjd365 Post author

    I almost quoted you in a post this week, Trini, but the entry took a different direction. I had to laugh, because I started the sentence, “As my friend Trini Horsford would say….” and then I had to think, Wait, no, what’s her last name now? There were martinis involved, just so you know! Thanks for following.

    Reply
  4. Roma Prins

    Thank you. I have enjoyed your blog. You have a very nice, succinct style of pose that I’ve enjoyed very much.

    Reply
    1. ccorleyjd365 Post author

      What a lovely compliment you’ve paid me — two, actually: Reading and commenting.

      Reply
  5. travail a domicile

    Very great post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to say that I’ve truly enjoyed browsing your weblog posts.
    In any case I’ll be subscribing in your feed and I hope you write
    again soon!

    Reply
  6. Mary France

    What a wonderful quest. I would love to join you on this journey. Such an inspiration.
    Thank you

    Reply
  7. Gray Packer

    Hello,
    Thank you for your comments on the WordPress Forum, they made my day. So I sought out your website, and here I am.
    I don’t think I could do a year of not complaining, if something is important, I think I have a duty to speak out, if not for me, then for others who cannot complain for themselves. Which I see is the theme of your law firm. But as a pilgrimage, I think it is admirable.
    I’ve just read a book about, a search for understanding, Over the Hill and Round the Bend, a kindle e-book by Paul Spencer. It was a long book and a long journey but inspiring. Just as I found your website inspiring and food for thought.
    Best wishes
    Grey

    Reply
    1. ccorleyjd365 Post author

      Grey —
      Thank you for your gracious words. I agree about the need to champion causes and principles especially for those who might be unable to do so for themselves. The balance between complaint and championship provided flavor to this blog along the way and continues to do so. I try to speak out when I see injustice. However, I have also learned that effective championship often requires a deft voice, which sometimes mean speaking without complaint. I have studied Marshall Rosenberg’s philosophy of nonviolent communication and espouse his beliefs. I endeavor to employ his practices. I learn. I grow. I continue.
      Best regards,
      Corinne Corley

      Reply
  8. Michael Maguire

    What a great approach to the daily challenges of life. If you don’t like it, work to change it, ignore it…or ‘kill it with kindness’. These are the tenets of my partner in life and I have to appreciate them as I watch her move through her own challenges. She assessed me as a negative person (I thought it was ‘sharp wit’) but my caustic approach to people and situations, on reflection, was correct and already, by using her guide, I have started to see the benefits of looking at the brighter side of life.

    Reply
  9. Carolyn Treadway

    Wow what a quest. i can learn a lot from you. Right? I knew you were special the first time I spoke to you!

    Reply
    1. ccorleyjd365 Post author

      I am now in my 95th month of My Year Without Complaining. I have yet to go 12 months without complaining but Life Continues! Thank you for your kind words.

      Reply
  10. cjhulse

    I like the non-complaining comment of Gloria Steinem regarding the Supreme Court U.S. 06/24/22.

    “Don’t agonize, organize.”

    Reply

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