Pretty much every coach, consultant, motivational speaker, entrepreneur I know believes in the power of the positive. And so do I. Most of the time. Almost always.
Whole books have been written on happiness. Fields of practice - Positive Psychology, Appreciative Inquiry - have grown around taking and maintaining a positive stance. And these are a big part of my work. And yet, I often wonder, is there a place for whining, yenching, moaning? Is there some constructive place we can get to from that unconstructive place?
Ann Fry and I are toying with hosting a series of calls entitled I Don’t Wanna! This will be an experiment in constructive whining. Anyone can call in and have a little whining space, but they don’t get to leave in the same place.
Why create a whining space? Because there is information in the shadow - in the negative. Because only by verbalizing our supposed roadblocks (I think) can we see them for the houses of straw they actually are. Because the exaggerated whine can only end in laughter.
Now, I’m not talking about real pain and misery here. I’m talking about that I just don’t want to turn off the TV and buckle down and get to work. I’m proposing a five-minute whine party. And a clearly marked exit path.Whine - laugh - plan action. What do you think?
