2 weeks Ago By By Suzanne Reisler Litwin, The Suburban
I’m at the age when MOST OF MY FRIENDS are complaining about one thing or another. There’s nothing wrong with complaining, but the constant flow is troubling. If I speak to Julie on Monday, she’s complaining about her back.
If I speak to Linda on Tuesday, she’s complaining about her teeth, as they are too sensitive in the cold. If I speak to Roland on Wednesday, he’s complaining about his knees. Each friend has something to complain about.
I’m in the same boat. Frankly, I can complain about my back, teeth and knees, too! At 62, something hurts each day. I’ve come up with a new theory, which I’m trying to apply.
It is called The No Bullsh*t Theory. This theory applies to specific days of the week in which you take a break from watching the news, engaging with social media, spending money (except on food) and complaining. To understand the theory is to apply limits on the things you do often, but you don’t need to do as often, such as complaining.
For example, do not complain about anything on Tuesdays. Do not listen to complaining and do not engage in complaining during this day. Limit yourself in all aspects of complaining.
At first it might be challenging, but then it becomes freeing. NO COMPLAINING TUESDAYS! Next on the bullsh*t list is news and social media. TAKE A BREAK! The world will not collapse and you will not miss the next TikTok trend if you stay away from news and social media for a day.
You might become bored, but that’s okay. When bored you will find other things to do with your time, like read a book or do a creative project. Perhaps on Thursday you will not listen to, speak of, and engage with news and social media.
Once again, you might be bored, but that’s perfect. Your creativity and imagination will surge! Creativity usually blossoms out of boredom. NO NEWS AND SOCIAL MEDIA ON THURSDAYS! I’m not suggesting adhering from spending money, news, social media and complaining all at once.
I’m suggesting to limit the bullsh*t in any given day. As in No Spending on Sundays. Put Sunday aside for total rest.
Yes, spend money on food whenever needed, but not on anything else. If you put aside two days a week, for no spending, your credit card will thank you! I’ve noticed that I’m spending a lot less money on unimportant things since I have no spending days in my life. Sue, do you really need that box of chocolates today? No, I’m not spending money today! By tomorrow, I might stop thinking about the chocolates and if I don’t, I can wait for a spending day to buy them.
By that time, I might forget. (I won’t forget about the chocolates..
.) NO SPENDING SUNDAYS! News and social media play a very big role in lives today. The constant flow of information is non-stop.
So we need to push it back and control the flow. No News Thursdays! Unless the news is worldly important, such as a life threatening event. Otherwise, give yourself and break from the bullsh*t.
The push back might help cleanse the soul. How much thrumping can a person take? It’s important to push it away and just live in the world as a person with purpose, meaning and feelings. No complaining is freeing.
Ok, I woke up this morning with a shooting pain down my right leg. I know about it, I feel it and it shows when I walk. But, I’m not going to complain about it and I don’t want to hear your complaints too.
Just live with it for a day. Tomorrow, we can complain about all of it. Today, no thanks.
Again, I am not suggesting we make ourselves so controlled that each day represents another limit...
No, no, no, I’m not alluding to such a limiting life. I’m just making a simple suggestion to limit some of the complaining, spending, news, and social media. How’s about importing some more happy, positivity, and love? I feel there’s a very delicate balance of living in the positive and negative.
You know, the more positivity you put into the world, the more positive outcomes will be. The more negative you put into the world, the more negative outcomes will be. Now is the time to surge the positivity, collectivity, and love.
So in the day you will not complain, add a force of positivity! In some way, make a positive change in someone’s life and in something for the good. In the day you will not spend money, give something of yourself. Give your time, a lift to a person is need.
Surely, there are people who need a lift somewhere? Give whatever you have. The day of not consuming will be the day of giving. During the day you will not engage in social media and news, find creative expression within yourself.
Draw something, anything. Photograph the world. Collect objects that appeal to you.
Write words of peace and praise. SIMPLY REMOVE THE BULLSH*T FROM YOUR LIFE! If..
. for only a day here or there. The days of the week in which I mentioned are only suggestions.
I know that many people do their grocery shopping on Sundays. Everything I’ve written here are simply suggestions. Here is a wonderful “not to spend suggestion” quote from my mother Noonie, “You’ve managed to get this far in life without it, I’m certain you can continue this way.
” At this time, I have adopted no spending, no complaining and no social media/news days. I have not isolated these to specific days of the week, as I’m not that organized with my thoughts and pursuits. I’m more relaxed in applying this theory.
I just say to myself, I am not complaining today, as I will be more positive, happy and loving. I’m not spending today, because I am giving back to the world. I’m not engaging in social media/news because I just can’t allow myself to get swallowed up into the never ending swirl of information and communications.
I will do yoga, or draw or write instead! Try The No Bullsh*t Theory. It just might make a positive and wonderful change in your living. You’ve got nothing to lose, as the rhetoric won’t go away, only you can make the difference for you.
Suzanne Reisler Litwin is a creative writing instructor at Concordia University, Le Cummings Centre, and The Writer's Workshops; a columnist at The Suburban newspaper; and author of The Black Velvet Jacket ..
