Summary

The article encourages readers to shift from complaining to taking constructive action by identifying whether their complaints are within their control and either taking steps to address them or practicing gratitude.

Abstract

The article titled "Stop Complaining And Start Doing Something About It" discusses the pervasive nature of complaining in society and its negative impact on individuals and those around them. The author admits to being a complainer, which prompts a personal realization to change this habit for the sake of family and personal well-being. The article suggests that to combat complaining, individuals should first categorize their complaints into those they can control and those they cannot. For issues outside of one's control, the author advises practicing thankfulness. For controllable complaints, taking proactive steps such as researching, seeking advice, and implementing solutions is recommended. The author provides a personal example of dealing with a shoulder injury by following medical advice, which led to improvement. The article concludes with a quote from Zig Ziglar emphasizing the futility of complaining and encourages readers to take action or be grateful, thereby enhancing their enjoyment of life.

Opinions

Complaining is a common but unproductive behavior that can be detrimental to one's mood and relationships.
Individuals often complain about things they can either control or not, but fail to take appropriate action.
Recognizing the type of complaint is the first step towards addressing the issue effectively.
Practicing gratitude is suggested for uncontrollable situations to maintain a positive outlook.
Taking responsibility and action towards resolving controllable complaints is crucial for personal growth and problem-solving.
The author believes that by following these steps, one can reduce the tendency to complain and lead a more fulfilling life.
The article implies that society as a whole would benefit from fewer complaints and more constructive engagement with problems.

Stop Complaining And Start Doing Something About It

Complaining won’t get you anywhere, do this instead

I hate complainers.

They drive me crazy.

Most of the time they complain about things that are either so far out of their control they can’t do anything about it. Or they complain about things they could easily change, but refuse to do the work.

We live in a society of complainers.

It’s true. Open up your newsfeed and see everyone complain about that person or this situation. Hop on any social media platform and find the same thing. It’s enough to drive us all crazy.

The problem is, I find myself doing the same thing and it drives me even crazier. The other day, I was complaining to my wife about my day job or the political situation we find ourselves in today.

Did you see that? I complained about something in my control and something completely out of my control.

I’m just as bad as the people who drive me crazy!

We Need to Stop Complaining

This week I realized something. I found myself in a bad mood. All I wanted to do was complain about things. There were outside forces and internal struggles that were pressing in on me. Then, out of know where, I had this epiphany:

I need to stop complaining because I was driving my poor wife crazy and I wasn’t setting a very good tone for my family.

But how do we stop complaining when it is culturally acceptable and we find it around every corner? What can we do to turn the ship around? Are there practical ways to stop complaining altogether?

Well, there are answers to all of these questions.

Start Doing Something About Your Complaints

Okay, if there is something we can do about complaining, where do we start? After all, if we want to make a change, we need to start somewhere. I said it earlier, there are two main things we complain about:

Things we can control.
Things out of our control we can’t do anything about them.

Once we can pinpoint where our complaints are, then we can start doing something about them. This week, whenever I felt like complaining, I started writing down what the complaint was and asked myself this question:

Can I do anything about this?

Remember, some things are in our control and others are not. If we really hit home on what is or isn’t then we can really do something about it. So, here are your two options:

You can’t do anything about it right now.

If it's something like political issues or the economic crisis of our country, or some big picture issue, you probably can’t do anything about it. So, you will need to do one thing and one thing only at the moment:

Be thankful for something around that issue. For example, I complain about the way inflation hits our family. I can’t really do much about it. But I can be thankful that I have a job that supports my family.

You can take action right now regarding your complaint.

On the other hand, you might be able to do something about it. Maybe it’s a physical pain you are having or a lifestyle situation you find yourself complaining about. These are things you can take action on. Here are some actions:

Research your problem.
Talk to someone about your problem and what you can do.
Start doing whatever you find out about your problem to change it.

An example of this in my life is how I have a nagging shoulder injury. I’ve gone to a doctor and physical therapy in the past, and the best thing for my shoulder is to stretch and strengthen it. But I always neglect this and then complain about it. So, what do I do, I start stretching during the day and find time to do a little workout that PT showed me. Slowly, it has gotten better.

Final Thoughts on Complaining

Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining — it bores everybody else, does you no good, and doesn’t solve any problems. — Zig Ziglar

I think this quote puts it well. Complaining doesn’t get us anywhere. It annoys people. Doesn’t help us. Complaining is like a rocking chair, it gives us something to do, but it doesn’t get us anywhere (I think that might be a quote, but I couldn’t find anyone to attribute it to).

So, next time you find yourself starting to complain about something, remember:

Ask yourself if you can do something about it.
If you can’t be thankful for something around your complaint.
If you can, do something about it that same day.

If you start doing this, I bet you will complain less and begin to change your life and enjoy life a little bit more.

What do you do when you start to complain or someone complains around you? Share in the responses below.