The peace bubble

I am now in the tenth day of Patti Digh's challenge to live 37 days without complaining (there's more to it than that, so check out Patti's description). Today, I'm on Day Three.

As I was sitting here deciding how best to describe how I feel, having now completed two days and moved on to see if I can make it three in a row, the phrase "peace bubble" came to mind.

It is often a challenge at work to stay out of the maelstrom of complaining and gossiping that I think goes on in many offices. My team, in particular, is responsible for the support of the 550 people in this office, and the nature of the support business yields a huge temptation to criticize and make fun of some of the customers.

But, what if I am in the office and surrounded by a peace bubble? Think of it as like the "Boy in the Bubble" stories, where the kid is so vulnerable to getting sick he has to live, literally, in a plastic bubble which filters his air for him.

A peace bubble, though, is invisible. It blocks the toxic comments and caustic criticisms of others, allowing only peace to reside within. I discovered yesterday how quickly a gossiping session dies if only one person in the conversation is participating! I didn't have to make a point of the fact that I wasn't going to add to the gossip, I only smiled and nodded, and commented not at all. The person who had come to my office to let me in on a juicy scoop was gone in less than 60 seconds.

So, today, I'm going to try my peace-bubble idea at work and see if that acts to reinforce my pledge to be complaint-free.

For those few of you on the planet who have not yet seen Olivia's great post on The Gratitude Dance, do stop by and watch the video, as she and her "LoveHubbie" tear it up! If they can't make you smile, no one can!