If you have a complaint, it can help you see when something is not working out or should be changed. But, when all you do is complain, that’s when things get messed up in life. There are some very good reasons to stop complaining today. Following are 5 big ones.
1. You Can’t Create Change In Your Life Until You Stop Complaining
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
When you complain, you limit yourself. You are giving an excuse for your laziness and giving up your power to change.
For example, I had a friend who used to constantly complain about her husband. He was a drunk with low self-esteem and an anger problem, and she used to complain about him all the time. She wanted something better, but she was so busy complaining about him that she didn’t take action to improve their relationship or make herself happier. Complaining about him gave her an excuse for her laziness to change things and also started to convince her she had no power to change things.
They are still together.
She is still complaining.
Complaining doesn’t feel good. So, if you don’t decide to do something about it, you start to justify what you are complaining about in order to feel better again. You say things like, ‘This is just my life,’ or ‘Things are meant to be like this,’ and then go on with life doing the same old thing you did that created the complaint.
The bottom line is that in order to create change, you have to affirm that you want something better and then start working towards it.
The sad truth is that you simply can’t affirm that you want something better and start taking action on it if you are too busy complaining.
2. Complaining Is Not A Good Social Skill To Have
Never tell your problems to anyone…20% don’t care and the other 80% are glad you have them. – Lou Holtz
I don’t know why people think that complaining is a way to relate to other people. Anywhere I go, people try to engage me with a complaint. They lean over, complain about something, and then expect it to be a bonding moment between us.
The problem is I don’t usually care. Unless they are complaining with a purpose – to actively work out an issue – their complaints are boring and annoying at the same time! I can’t help them. Their negative attitude drags me down. And I just don’t want to listen to them.
And, as Lou Holtz points out, many people you complain to are happy that you have those complaints. They want you to be miserable either because they are miserable or because they are petty little people who want others not to be happy.
If you want people to be interested in you and let them know that you are enjoying life, stop complaining! You may lose some people in your life who want to relish in your misery or who want to join you in your misery, but is that such a bad thing?
Once you stop complaining, you can start socializing with people who live in a state of action, happiness, and progress.
You can also start socializing with people who want you to succeed and support you. Those are the kind of people that you want in your life because they will help you reach new levels of success and happiness.
3. Complaining Doesn’t Get You The Results You Want
As a leader, train yourself to never gripe about what you allow. Never complain about something you tolerate. You are the leader. Lead to the desired result.
— Craig Groeschel (@craiggroeschel) December 27, 2017
One of the craziest things is that we often complain about things that we are tolerating, even though we have complete power to change it.
Whether you are a leader at work or in your home, or you are just a leader of yourself (which you are by the way), you should never complain about things you are tolerating. What’s the point? Besides indicating that something is wrong, complaining does absolutely nothing.
My core belief is that if you’re complaining about something for more than three minutes, two minutes ago you should have done something about it. – Caitlin Moran
4. Sometimes Complaining Is A Total Waste Of Time
The tabloids are like animals, with their own behavioural patterns. There’s no point in complaining about them, any more than complaining that lions might eat you. – David Mellor
You’ve probably already figured out this point, but just in case…
You need to stop complaining because it is a complete waste of time. Not only does it keep you from taking action, but sometimes you are complaining about something that you have no control over and complaining does absolutely nothing but waste your time.
For instance, when people complain about the weather, they are wasting time. Instead of enjoying the moment, they are critical of something that they have absolutely no power over and couldn’t change even if they tried. The more they complain, the more time they waste on complete nonsense.
There is no use complaining when there is nothing you can do! It does nothing. It won’t change anything. It’s just soaking up precious moments.
5. Happiness Comes When You Stop Complaining
Happiness comes when you stop complaining about the problems you DO have and start being grateful for all the problems you DON’T have. #Gratitude
— HalfOurDeen (@babaali) December 18, 2017
If you can stop complaining for long enough, you will see that your perception towards life will start to shift and gratitude will start to take the place of all those complaints you used to have. And that’s when things will start to get really good. In fact, life won’t give you many situations to complain about! You will find yourself feeling more and happier!
If you haven’t felt happy for a while, then this will be a welcome gift! And, if you do feel happy, it will increase and life will take on a new meaning.
