[memandala]

Because I've been trying to do it myself and experienced some challenges. The suggestion I was given was for 21 days but I'm sure you could make it 30 : ) This is a 21 day fast from all negative speaking - meaning no complaining, no criticizing, no gossiping, no bitching, etc. It's okay to think these things, just no speaking them. The way this was given to me is if I slip I must forgive myself and start over at day 1. That part doesn't exactly fit in with the 30 day trial concept so maybe some tweaking could be involved.

I consider myself to be a fairly aware and positive person so I was surprised when I started this how often I engaged in negative speaking that was just a habit - like at work. Most of the talk in my office centers around complaints about the company. I didn't realize that I was tending to put my 2 cents in there with them. The first week I tried this I had very little to say in the office.

One day I made it all day and was feeling very positive until our small dog ran away and wouldn't come back. There is no chance of catching him because he is too fast so it took a long time to convince him to come back. When I finally got him in my hands I put hands around his head and whispered, "a**hole," in his ear. Then I had to laugh at myself!

I've been told that we lose a lot of our power through negative speaking and that this fast results in us regaining that lost power. I've had days where I really felt it. For me this has been a process. The longest I've made it so far is 2 days. But I've had more good days in the past two months since I began. And I feel confident that I WILL make it 21 days.

Steve is so positively inclined to begin and more practiced than many; he might have an easier time. It would be nice to get his observations on the experiment.