I was at my company conference last week, 2 days of inspirational talks along with shopping, eating and having fun.
There were many take away moments from those 2 days and I have a notebook full of scribbles to prove it, but one of the main things that hit me was this,
We only complain about the things we can change.
Think about it, your daily gripes are all centered around the frustration that something could be done to alleviate an issue but no one has.
Tell me what you have complained about in the last week, I’ll share some of mine too
- my husband snoring
- my daughter not tidying her bedroom
- the double glazing salesman arriving very late
- the kids school bus being late
We complain when we are not in control, because actually when we are in control things go to plan.
But why do we let things slide, what is in us that would prefer to moan and complain instead of actually taking action and getting something done about it?
Sometimes it’s for attention, sometimes it’s laziness, sometimes it’s fear.
Take that list above, they all have direct implications for my happiness and that is why I am complaining.
- the snoring made me tired as I couldn’t sleep
- I couldn’t hoover and dust as her room was so messy
- It messed up our evening routine
- I spent an hour in the car ferrying them around instead of working
If I really think about it though, I could have taken control and done something to alleviate the annoyance level caused by these issues. But it was easier to complain and do nothing.
- I could get him to start his diet/exercise regime again
- I could tidy it myself
- We could have cancelled
- I could have listened to a podcast instead of the radio
Complaining is easy, sometimes it makes us feel good. But long term does it solve anything? No. What does solve things? Action!
Next time you go to complain about something, think about if taking control of the situation and taking action would actually be more beneficial to your happiness.
Quit complaining and start doing!
