Since our teleclass last week, I have new "complaint" alarm going off in my head so much more often.

I wrote down a quote from our GOT session this year without really understanding it (it probably came from Rick) that was:

"Behind every complaint is a commitment"

It didn't make complete sense to me then but I now see it so much more clearly as a commitment to something we/they value.

Since the call, I've been enjoying the "challenge"/"puzzle" of connecting my complaints to what I stand for and more interesting for me, thanks to Mel, is I have taken others complaints (that would normally drive me up the wall on so many levels in the past) to an external challenge of "Can you name the value?".  It's been hard enough for me to connect the complaints to a value for myself, so I rarely feel like I connect it for others, but more importantly it moves me quickly into compassion and empathy rather than prosecuting.

As Rick said, with the holidays ahead, we have lots of time to be practicing this stuff with family!

Happy Holidays to everyone.

-tony