So this weekend it hit 101 degrees in Dallas. Everywhere I went people were complaining about it. Amazing!! It was only a short few weeks ago the temperature in Dallas was unseasonably low with dull grey skies and rain. Guess what ~ everyone was complaining about it!!!!
We are a nation of complainers. No, that’s not being anti-American because it strikes me we are a world of complainers. In just about every conversation you tune in to, somebody is complaining about something. The weather appears to be in the number one slot. It’s never right, is it? We complain about the traffic when we’re driving to or home from work. But, wait a minute, aren’t we the traffic too?
We complain about a whole list of things, not just the weather. Think about it. There’s the boss, the job, the in-laws, the price of gas (and everything else that we buy), the government, our “favorite sports team,” the house, the yard, our weight, healthcare and on and on and on.
We all seem to spend more time complaining about something than conversing about anything else. Why do we do it? The list of complaints is a long one; it goes on forever, but what about all of the good things in life?
What would our day be like if every time we complained about something we made a concerted effort to recognize the fact and end the conversation with something that we felt really happy about? Something that was wonderful. Something that meant being pleasant and handing out praise to someone.
In the scheme of things we are not put on this earth for long. Why do we waste that precious time in incessantly complaining about everything? However tough life seems sometimes, we all have a lot to be thankful for, a lot to smile about and a friendly, smiling conversation can, it is said, even contribute to us living longer.
So, let’s stop the complaining! Let’s look on the bright side! Refer to our glass as being half full instead of half empty!
Start to become the happiest generation ITHOE!!!!
Tags: Complainers, Dallas, George Straight, Heat, Hot, Optimism
Richard,
I will put myself out there and place quite a bit of blame on my generation of twenty-somethings (and below). Maybe some will agree and some will disagree, but that’s what this blog is about, right?
I believe that because my generation has been so well taken care of and put on such high pedestals by our teachers, our parents and ourselves, we inherently complain about everything. I’ve found my office to be too cold some days and have grumbled about it, whether to myself or out loud, but then when I spent ages 16-22 driving a car with no AC from school to my home hours away, I also grumbled (louder back then).
With so much convenience at our disposal, it’s easy to forget that these luxuries are gifts and not requirements of our days.
On a positive note: You and I have friendly banter sometimes about the highlight of my weekend being a visit to the Whole Foods that recently opened near my home and how un-exciting my life must be. I grew up in a small town with one, slightly odd smelling, grocery store that was a quarter of the size of a typical Tom Thumb around here. I find extreme joy in my visits to Whole Foods and Super Targets (we don’t even have a regular Target in my hometown, and did not even get a Super Wal-Mart until I was in college!)…so I hope that I am, on some levels, keeping my priorities in line. If not, I hope you’ll call me out on it!