Will Bowen's Blog, page 95

Day 2!

I sleep until I wake up in pain. That’s been my pattern for the last 8 nights. As I was enjoying the quiet of the middle of last night—while I paced the floor so that my shoulder pain would diminish, I realized that this is a great metaphor for life.

We sleep until we wake up in pain. That is to say, we cruise along on autopilot when everything is going okay. Then, a problem pops up and we are snapped awake. Suddenly, we are fully engaged in life. Some crisis has gotten us back into the game. I wonder if that’s the purpose of pain and problems, to snap us out of our malaise.

What do you think? BTW, I’m on day two Complaint Free. Stitches out yesterday and this morning I did yoga by the lake. Awesome!

Can Southside Middle School become a Complaint Free School? Part 1

After 5 principals and 7 school superintendents in less than a decade, can Southside Middle school, located in a bedroom community of Boston, be saved?

Staff morale is extremely low and it is flowing downhill negatively impacting the children.

In this film, directed by renowned photographer John Gladman, Will Bowen takes the Complaint Free movement to this school in crisis.

 

WATCH NOW>>>

 

I’m back to day 1!

I’m back on Day 1.

(Remember, there is no shame in day 1).

How is your Complaint Free challenge going?

I find it a gift from the Universe that I am going through the Complaint Free challenge with all of you while at the same time having this painful shoulder surgery. I feel both greatly supported and very much called into integrity knowing that I’m committed to sharing this process.

Many of you have thanked me for my honesty and candor during this experience. Well, I didn’t post yesterday because I just didn’t feel like it. How’s that for honesty?

It’s been just over a week since the surgery and I’m still having fitful nights with little sleep and lots of pain. One of the side effects of the pain medication is a difficulty in breathing and sometimes I wake up in pain and anxiety.

I have said many times that “Those who hurt, or hurting.” Well, let me put it another way:

“People who ARE a pain to deal with, are typically IN pain, themselves—either physically, emotionally or psychologically.”

They deserve our compassion not our reaction.

As a result of my lack of sleep, consistent pain, and the anxiety enhancing side effect of the medication, I am not at my best. Someone disagreed with me yesterday just as a wave of pain hit and I caught myself being rude—and then later complaining. Hence, I am on Day 1.

If we did not experience any suffering ourselves, we would not be able to have compassion for the suffering others. Once again, I am grateful for this process because it is teaching me greater compassion.

I want to remember this and keep it ever before me:

“People who ARE a pain to deal with, are typically IN pain, themselves—either physically, emotionally or psychologically.”

They deserve our compassion not our reaction.

PS: I’ll see this person again today and will apologize. When you have a mess the only thing required is to clean it up.

Day 4!

Day 4!

The “Hear no Evil, Speak No Evil and See no Evil” monkeys are known around the world.

When I was a boy my mother gave me a statue of them; each covering either its ears, mouth or eyes. She explained it as a negative portrayal of people who choose to be naïve.

Now I realize that it’s a powerful recipe for happiness and success. When we listen to, speak and/or witness on things that are “evil” (negative), we are focusing upon negativity. Negative focus equals a negative, unhappy & unsuccessful life.

Becoming Complaint Free removes one way we perpetuate negativity. Then, ceasing to watch negative events and listen to negative people makes our life a sanctuary for contentment.

Just for today, IF IT DOESN’T INSPIRE YOU TO GREATER HAPPINESS, DON’T WATCH IT, SAY IT, or LISTEN TO IT.

Day 2!

I know it looks like I’m wearing the same clothes every day but only the bathrobe is the same.

I’m on much less pain medication now—which is good, and I’m feeling better so I catch myself diving right back into projects I was working on prior to surgery and I’m just not ready to do that. I get confused and tired.

I get that I AM a patient. I’m having trouble BEING patient.

I do like that I can dictate to my Mac (like I’m doing now) and have it appear as typed text. Today, I’ve been continuing work on a Complaint Free children’s book between long naps.

I am on day 2 Complaint Free.

How is it going for you?

I look forward to reading your response after I wake up from my nap

 

Day 1!

I’m back on day 1 again. My doctor warned me that this would be a very painful procedure. I have been taking a pain pill every 2 hours since the surgery and yet the pain has still been pretty severe. I can’t imagine how bad it would be without the medication.

Last night around 2 AM I was in severe pain and found myself complaining. Ironically, the complaining did nothing to lessen my pain. Imagine that. LOL!

So, I began to repeat the words “Thank You” over and over until I fell asleep.

I am 54 years of age. When my father was 52, he was in a traffic accident and lost the use of his right arm forever. When I catch myself wallowing in my pain I think of him and his inspiring example and I am truly grateful.

Day 3!

Well I’m on day 3 of not complaining. My goal is to go 21 consecutive days in a row. My doctor says that the shoulder surgery went great! He said that he had a lot of healthy tissue to work with. The anesthesiologist did a pain block on my shoulder and it wore off at 3 AM. Wow! The pain is so intense that I’ve only been able to sleep for 5 to 10 minutes at a time. Not complaining– just informing anyone interested.

As I was lying awake last night, I had a lot of time to think about other people who are in pain much worse than mine, or that deal with pain that never goes away. I kept thinking about the hospital that I helped build in Tanzania and how few hospitals there are in that country. I am committed to going back to Tanzania to help build another hospital. I’ll be telling you more about it in the future. It will be an open invitation for anyone who wants to join me. So consider going with me. I promise it will change your life forever. So in addition to getting my shoulder repaired, I am also expanding my compassion. There are blessings in everything if we look for them. I hope you have a great Complaint Free, pain-free day! (Now I am going to sleep)

HICCUPS and Back to Day 1!

Hiccups.

I’m on Day 1 again because of hiccups. For some reason, one of the side effects of the surgery is that I’ve been experiencing nonstop hiccups.

Every time I hiccup it sends a stab of pain through my shoulder. So, I complained last night about having the hiccups.

Remember this is not about being perfect all the time and never, ever complaining. Being a Complaint Free person means training yourself to no longer be a compulsive complainer.

Sometimes, like after you’ve had shoulder surgery, you just might find yourself complaining.

“HICCUP!”

“OUCH!”

Day 2 of the 21 Day Complaint Free Challenge

OK, how did I go from 16 days in a row without complaining to being back on Day 1 yesterday? A store clerk acted rudely to the point of embarrassing me in front of other customers.

What did I do? I told him clearly how I perceived what he had said as rude and embarrassing. I also suggested that he treat future customers with more respect and appreciation.

OK, thus far, I ACTUALLY HAVE NOT COMPLAINED. I’m just STATING FACTS. And, I am SPEAKING DIRECTLY AND ONLY TO THE PERSON WHO CAN AFFECT THE CHANGE THAT I SEEK. Therefore, I had remained Complaint Free.

HOWEVER, when I got in the car afterwards, I GRIPED aloud for about: 30 seconds until I caught myself laughed and switched my bracelet.

Our Divine Mother (Dharma Talk)

Why do most religions consider God to be male?

 
Are women slowly assuming leadership in our world or are they actually reclaiming an ancient and sacred role they once possessed for thousands of years?
 
How might your life change/improve if your concept of God shifted to considering God to be female?

The Tao Te Ching begins, “The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao.”  To consider God to be exclusively male limits our experience of God.

Discover how we are programmed to see God as male and how this then drives our entire society.  A male idea of God has lead to a belief that men are ordained to control events around the world.  In reality, what we need today more than ever is the love of a Divine Mother and the individual and collective power of women.

LISTEN NOW>>>