Last week, I saw this article in my local paper about a pastor in Kansas City, Missouri who asked his flock to swear off complaining for three weeks. No criticizing, gossiping or use of sarcasm for 21 days. Since then, his no-complaining campaign has spread and his Christ Church Unity has been inundated with with requests for little purple bracelets that read "A Complaint Free World". Similar to those yellow Livestrong bracelets everyone was wearing last year, the no-complaints bracelets are intended to remind wearers of their pledge to stop complaining. If you slip up, you switch the bracelet to the other wrist and start your 21-day count over.

Ellie has a tendency to complain a lot, which she probably learned from me. We've been talking about her negativity a lot lately, but nothing seems to stick. She listens, she gets it, she promptly returns to her bad habits. So, when I read about this bracelet, I thought I'd would try it. The church is giving away the bracelets for free, but asks for a donation. I have asked them to send me two - one for me and one for Ellie.

It's going to take 3-5 weeks for the bracelets to arrive. In the meantime, whenever Ellie starts complaining, I just say 'bracelet' and she stops. That's progress, at least.