The Complacent Scoundrel

Scoundrel (n): A dishonest or unscrupulous person; a rogue.

The first home study course I'm doing for the CECs through NETA is The Mind/Body Guide to Wellness,  This is worth 4 NETA CECs (not sure what it'd be worth for other certifying organizations).  The course centers around Deanna Reiter's The Nine Scoundrels.  These scoundrels lurk in our lives, sometimes obvious sometimes hidden, and tend to sabotage our happiness.  Do you recognize any of the nine scoundrels in your life or one of your loved ones?

Do any of these scoundrels get in the way of your joy? 1. Complacent - think things are good enough 2. Delayed Gratification - wait for what might make you happy 3. Addicted to Misery - enjoy complaining 4. Fear of Happiness - think too much pleasure will result in something bad 5. Martyr - put other people's joy before your own 6. Negative Thinking - assume the worst 7. Stuck in the Past - remember past wrongs & mistakes 8. Forward Thinking - live with a sense of anxiety & urgency 9. Grass is Greener - believe happiness lies outside of yourself #continuingeducation #wellnesscoach #GroupExerciseInstructor #cecs #neta #happiness #joy #mindset

A post shared by Cassandra Schmigotzki (@longandwindingroadtowellness) on Jan 25, 2017 at 6:49pm PST

Characteristics of the Complacent Scoundrel

For the Complacent Scoundrel, life is OK as is, nothing can be done to change it, and she must learn to live with life as it stands.  She is either unwilling or unable to identify the source of her unhappiness.  One of the major factors in her lack of motivation is the fear of the unknown.  From the outside observer, she appears happy, easy going, and indifferent.  She chooses whatever is second best because she accepts what's good enough.  She believes it'll be too difficult to fight her current situation to change anything.

There are a few good things associated with the Complacent Scoundrel.  She's usually a hard worker and extremely loyal.  She's also frugal but this can be taken to the extreme if she's not careful.

What prompts a person to kick the Complacent Scoundrel to the curb?  Some kind of external motivator pushes her to make a change.

Questions to Ask

When you recognize that someone is affected by the Complacent Scoundrel, here are some opening questions to ask in order to gauge if she's ready to move forward.

• How has the Complacent Scoundrel helped you?
• How has it negatively affected you?
• When were you first introduced to the Complacent Scoundrel?  Was it brought to you by an outside force (family, culture, or society) or did you unconsciously accept it as your own?
• How have you been a Complacent Scoundrel in the past week?
• On a scale of 1-10 (10=best), how would you rate your overall level of satisfaction and happiness?
• What have you settled for that's left you with less than ideal situations, people, or things?
• How can you make your life more ideal?  What's one thing that you can do TODAY to release what's not serving your highest good?

Defeating the Complacent Scoundrel

There are many things that can be done to defeat the Complacent Scoundrel.  One way is to garner conscious, independent thought to master your life.  This also allows you to see the alternatives within the areas of medicine, transportation, energy, education, business, government, economics, science, and theology.  Exploring the alternatives enables you to experience what's true for your unique self instead of solely relying on what tradition and the masses tell you.

Another way is to get your body moving with some kind of physical activity.  However, exercising only because you believe that you SHOULD can be problematic.  Intense exercise and extreme dieting hurts yourself by shocking your physical, mental, and emotional bodies.  Sticking with the SHOULDs causes you to want immediate gratification instead of gradual change.  The desire to exercise doesn't exist so it's not enjoyable.  You're also not a part of a support system to help with your accountability and progress.  All this together shows that you're not in the right mindset to truly change.

A third way to defeat the Complacent Scoundrel is to eat healthier according to what your body needs.  Being more conscious at the dinner table can help.  How can you do this?

1. Transition.  Take a moment sitting in your car to relax and leave any work problems behind before entering your home.
2. Check in with your mood.  Recognize if something's been weighing on you and take a mental step towards resolving the issue.
3. Check in with your body.  What's your body craving?
4. Sit.  If you're snacking before dinner, take the exact portion, not the whole package, with you to sit and eat.  Move yourself away from the next serving.
5. Pause and get conscious.  There are two options to work on this area.
1. Spend meal time talking with your family, keeping the conversation positive.
2. Just sit and eat.  Enjoy everything about the food...taste, smell, emotions, etc.

Affirmations

To keep your mind on defeating the Complacent Scoundrel, there are many affirmations and thought changes that guide you.  Pick any from the list below (or choose your own), write them down, and place the affirmations around your home and workplace where they're visible to you.

I create my reality.

I deserve to be happy.

I deserve a perfect job.

I deserve a perfect place to live.

I deserve respect.

Only loving, peaceful people deserve to be in my life.

Everyone in my world wants what's best for me.

The Universe supports my happiness.

I choose to be in perfect situations.

I deserve the best that life has to offer me.

I choose to live a life of excitement and awe.

I deserve an ideal relationship with myself and others.

I'm generous with myself and others.

I choose to exercise and eat well for my health.

This plan is working for me.

Exercise is enjoyable.

My metabolism is getting faster.

This is getting easier.

Sweating is good; it releases toxins.

I'm getting more flexible every day.

I have the energy to do all that I need to do.

I can accomplish anything.

I can do this today.

I'm capable in this moment, at this age.

Every healthy step I take reaps benefits.

I am my healthy weight. (visualize it)

I'm fit.  I'm healthy.  I'm strong.