Stories of Kindness from Around the World

A couple of months ago I received an email about this church who was on a mission to provide people with a challenge to stop complaining.. They were making these purple bracelets that had stamped on them "Complaint Free"and sending them out to anyone who requested them..

The challenge was to see if you could go a whole month without complaining. What you were supposed to do was to wear the bracelets around your wrist and every time you find yourself complaining you would have to switch the bracelet to the opposite wrist. The idea behind was that if people were more conscious about how much they complained that eventually after switching the bracelet many times it would become a habit not to complain and therefore each person would be nicer to be around and we would all have a nicer village in which to live.

In my work place there are approximately 15 clerical personnel. I sent away for these bracelets. After I received them, I brought them to work and one evening after every one had left, I placed the bracelets and a letter telling the purpose on each clerical persons desk anonymously.  The next day and for weeks after some of the ladies and gentlemen wore their bracelets and accepted the challenge. Of course after a while the novelty wore off but it brought so much attention to how much we all complain about the most trivial things, it was great to see the reaction. I have never told anyone that it was me. They still wonder, and still talk about how for a little while there was enlightenment into the amount of little trivial things we complain about, when there is so much more going on in the world. 

My secret is now out that it was me that shared the purple bracelets and when the group I work with found themselves complaining about traffic or something else similar they will bring up the purple bracelets and still wonder where they came from. Some actually think it was a  management  tool or for some a tactic of some kind.

Just so you know, when i sent away for these bracelets it was at first just for my immediate family, to show my children that there is so MANY more important things to LIFE than just the little things that we all complain about and to show them just HOW MUCH they/we complain about the little things in life.  My boys are older now, but through this experience have become better brothers, which is an absolute pleasure.