What do I have in common with Fred Flintstone? My pet is not a dinosaur. My girl does not have outfits that use bones to hold them together. I don’t have a daughter named Pebbles.
I do, however, snore like a cartoon character. This is a new phenomenon in my life. I was never much of a snorer, but for some reason or other I’ve started to do it.
Perhaps it’s because I’ve met the woman I want to be with, so all my latent bad habits are coming out of the woodwork. Call it “domestic bliss at its worst.”
So if anyone knows a good cure for snoring besides hitting me over the head with a bag of rocks, please let me know. Well, that’s all I am going to complain about today.
Some of you, though, spend you lives complaining. As it’s Monday, I know some of you have been complaining since you woke up and got to work this morning. This leads me directly into today’s blog…
Complainers. I can almost hear the crying from you now, “Waaaaaaaaa!” So many people just complain their lives away.
“Poor me. I don’t have a good job.”
“Poor me. I don’t have a girlfriend (or boyfriend).”
“The weather is bad.”
Let me tell you something about complainers. They need to start checking themselves and reigning in all the complaining.
Also, I’m want to set up “complaining rules” which govern when and about what things people are allowed to complain. I don’t know if I need to send these rules to Obama or to Larry King. Of course, Larry never knows what he’s talking about anymore anyway.
If you’ve got a shitty driver in front of you, complain away. If you have a cold, the flu or the runs, then go ahead and complain if it makes you feel better. If you’re at Starbucks and the person making the coffee is so damn slow you believe they must have been dropped on their head at birth, then go ahead and complain. Go ahead and complain about all these things, but complain to yourself.
Really, though, don’t complain about things you can’t control and certainly don’t complain to others about them. Don’t, for example, complain about the weather. You’re not Superman, you can’t change it. If the weather is crummy for a few days, find something else to do.
My mother was a chronic weather complainer. That’s probably why I live in California where the weather is always perfect.
When it comes to things you can control, instead of complaining about things, DO something about them. Instead of complaining about your body if you’re dissatisfied with it, do something about it. Complaining is not going to get your body in better shape, and I’ve never seen the complainer’s diet or workout.
If you complain that you can’t meet someone but you never do anything about it, then guess what? You’re not going to meet someone. Stop complaining and start doing something about it.
Going back to those shitty drivers, unless you have a shotgun or a Bazooka there’s really nothing you can do about them. So complain all you want . . . to yourself.
I understand complaining when you have a cold, but again keep it to yourself. Don’t use it as a topic of conversation with others. I just love when I run into someone and ask how they are, and the response is “Lousy! I have a cold” followed by five straight minutes of complaining about it. What do I look like? A doctor? Really, do I look like I walk around with Sudafed in my pocket?
I also love when I’m in line at Starbucks and people in line complain about the person behind the counter serving the coffee. Do I look like the manager?
If you’re going to complain, do it to yourself or be proactive. It just seems like so many people complain but aren’t willing to do anything about whatever it is about which they’re complaining.
When someone starts bitching, I personally just tune them out. I really don’t want to hear it.
I’m really sorry you ate the box of Twinkies and that you’re not in shape. What do you want me to do? Stick my finger down your throat?
I’m a self-help expert. That means you read my stuff and you self-help yourself. I can’t do it for you.
If you want to meet more women, I can’t introduce you to them. I’m not a dating service. If you want to lose weight, I can’t get on the treadmill for you or make your legs move on the treadmill.
So let’s all stop complaining and start doing! By the way, Larry King called and said “Why complain? You can just get married ten times, and they just get younger and younger each time.” (Well at least that’s what I’m sure he would say).
Great stuff!
My ex girlfriend was like that… whatever… there is a song of a band called King’s X that say: “Complain, so much easier”… a few people in this times is proactive and actualy do something for their lives… I was one of them…
Thanks David…
Sometimes I just bitch because I like the sound of it.
I would also rate it great.
I loved this article, I used to have problems, both fallen to sleep and sleeping, and it goes without saying that when you are tired you don’t have the energy to exercise or eating right. A friend of mine told me about LiveWave Silent Night patches and my life has totally changed, I get a good night rest and have enough energy to have a great day
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Ásdís
Great post David! I admit it, I have the little complainer in me. I could spend 5 minutes complaining that my class got canceled! Or I could complain about the weather too. But you’re right: you bitch, you do something. Or just as you say: complain to yourself.
Very true. Nobody likes a complainer. Complaining is inherently an act of negative thinking and will simply bring you more of what you complain about. I choose to focus on what I want and what is positive in my experience right now whenever I start to drift into “complaining mode”. Great post!
Thanks, David! You reminded me of the attitude one of my friends has. He is tall, rich, and good looking (compared to me, and I’m fine with that -I’m cool in my own way), but he is always complaining about anything and everything! ENOUGH ALREADY!!
There were less than 20 people attending my concert last Saturday, I paid for the bass amp rental, the club owner didn’t even give us a glass of water, and you don’t see me complaining…
The grocery store across the sreet from my business I like to call my territory. Thats where I have my flirting fun. A couple months nago the store got a new manager, female and very cute.They also added a new cashier also female and very cute (but young enough to be my grand daughter, the dream but don’t touch type). The problem is I have to be very careful about what I say or they start complaining about their working conditions.
Give me a break please!! That is why I left the grocery business, all the complaining and back stabbing just to make 50 cents more an hour.
If only people could realize how distructive constant complaining can be.
My territory? No problem I’ll demonstrate to them the error of their ways!!! Paul Loughner
David, “Breath Right Strips” stop the snoring and work great! Yea, they look a little silly stuck to your nose and she’ll have a good laugh, but if it lets you both get a good night’s sleep, then I’m sure she won’t mind how they look!
Great advice, David!
Complain…Complain…That is my middle name my answer let me get a complaint box and I bet you will fill it up alright. Those who complain the most have something to hide work in a retail store and be the people greeter and someone sets off the alarm. Then ask them for their reciept you get a lot of complainers that way. If a person will not say anything and go ahead with then they do not have anything to hide. But complain a lot and look the part people will get suspicious of that person doing the complaining. Sometimes I complain about the driver ahead of me but what can I do about it I can not just drive over the top of their car. Then it all boils done to one thing road rage. Complaining is just a waste of energy and time when the person can be doing something counter productive. When at work don’t complain about what the person should have done that worked the hours before you got there just do it. For a person can get a lot accomplished if they themselves look into that mirror and think I may have done that before myself.
But what I can not stand is when some people turn into braggers and think they are better than anyone. I have no stones to throw because I might have bragged about myself somewhere in the past.
I read somewhere that people who gossip and white to each other feel more connected to each other. I think the idea of it is just funny.
Personally, I don’t like to excessive complainers or whiners. As you said David, I like to believe: “Focus on the things you can control/do something about”
By focusing on what you can control or do something about, not only will you be more proactive, but you’ll also rid yourself of unnecessary stress.
I don’t mind a little complaining to vent out… but if it’s complaining to feel self pity… get rid of it!
Oh… and I’ve been sick since Sunday night… I hate the feeling of it and my friends and family called me every day to check on me but never did I complain about them how shitty my day was. I told them I felt bad or sick or tired… but I never told them how sucky it was to be stuck in my room for so many days straight!
If I complain, I feel I just wasted my own energy LOL
I really do need to work on this. I complain alot, and don’t realise I am doing it. I have been complaining about the weather ALOT lately. It just WON’T stop raining.
Well, sweet… Someone will love this and I can’t wait to tell her about this. Thanks again…