“What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.”
– Maya Angelou
Following Maya Angelou’s advice is good. If we can’t change something, we must change the way we think about it. When we complain, all we do is fire ourselves up repeatedly and nothing changes. We become a victim of what we are complaining about, and we end up feeling bad over and over again. Not only do we feel bad, but who we are complaining to feels bad or bored or not interested. Complaining is like a contagious disease.
Ever hear of the Wambulance Song?
Have you heard people complain? Do you find yourself complaining? Would you agree that it’s not even the story of the complaining that matters, all we hear is the Waa, Waa, Waa of the complaining song, Wambulance, like an ambulance rushing down the street? When people complain, sometimes we end up tuning out the words and just hear the complaining sound. I bet you can imitate someone complaining without using one word.
Lou Holtz said something that I never thought about before but rings true. He said, “Never tell your problems to anyone… 20% don’t care and the other 80% are glad you have them.” That has truth in it. What is the benefit of complaining? Is it the old standard saying that “misery loves company”? Do we want to drag others into our own dissatisfied lives? Are we looking for someone to save us when we complain?
Challenge yourself.
The next time you want to complain about something, pause, and ask yourself what is the benefit you will reap by complaining? Here’s one better. Challenge yourself NOT to complain for a whole day and see what happens. If you make it through the day, extend the time to the next day and the next, and who knows, maybe you’ll be the small percentage of people who go to CA (Complainers Anonymous) to let go of your addiction to complaining and let God?
Love,
Shelley
It’s your life. Enjoy the journey. And remember to bring love into everything you do.
