We all know of at least one person who is a constant complainer. They complain about the weather, whether it is too hot, or too cold, rainy, snowing, or windy. They do not like their job or their relatives.They complain when there is a power outage and when the internet service goes down. They complain that they are tired or they have a headache or they don’t feel well. They live in constant fear, always expecting that they might have cancer, or coronavirus, or be involved in an automobile crash. They believe everything they hear in the news and on TikTok and are easily taken in by conspiracy theories. If you suggest to them that perhaps they are being a bit too negative, they take it as a personal affront. They often resent those who have a more upbeat attitude, believing that optimists’ lives are trouble free.
In reality, even those who wear a perpetual smile, have not escaped the hard knocks and heartbreaks of life. They may have once been complainers too, but eventually discovered a new way of being. Some people are just born with a kind of flamboyant persona and they can light up a room without even trying. In general, they have handsome looks to go along with their cheerful disposition. We should “never judge a book by its cover”, it is said; and “until you have walked a mile in my shoes” do not presume or make judgements about me. Life is hard. Period. It can be challenging to be around complainers and those who seem to always be depressed. Sometimes, for our own wellbeing we must distance ourselves from them. But, whenever possible, we can try to help them look for the good. Much of the time they simply want someone to listen. No one appreciates unsolicited advice, but we can point out good to them wherever we see it. Some will refuse to see it. So be it.
We all have good days. We have bad days. If we strive to lift one another up whenever possible, to help each other look at circumstances and events in a different light, we help to raise the collective consciousness. We can look for the good and praise it – and point it out to those who cannot yet see it. There is plenty that seems “wrong” in our world today, but if you try to observe what is good in life, you may discover that an attitude of gratitude will dispel complaints and usher in more things to be grateful for. As you begin to look for things that you are thankful for, you eventually begin to “catch” yourself getting caught in a stream of negative thinking. Eventually, your negative thoughts will be replaced with life affirming ones, and one day you may realize that you have become one of those who bring light with them into a room. We are instinctively drawn to the light, or repelled by it, depending on the overall nature of our thoughts. The fate of our world depends upon whether the “lightkeepers” of the world can dispel the darkness that has covered it. If you are prone to complaining, could you set aside one day, refusing to complain about anything? Could you spend that day looking only for the good? Can you imagine the power that could change the world, if everyone gave up complaining for a day?
