Are You A Complainer?

I'm thinking I was almost a complainer......one of those people on the edge of unhappy who gripes and gripes but never does anything to change things. Until I had an epiphany. What a cool word that is. Dictionary.com says it is a sudden, intuitive perception or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple or commonplace occurrence or experience.  

It didn't occur to me that this is what happened to me until I was reading a meditation from Daily OM in last week's yoga class.  I read, "Complaining is a person's way of acknowledging that they are not happy with the way things are.  So transforming complaining into something useful is a twofold process that begins with turning our critical eye to look at things we can actually do something about, and then taking positive action." So in a nutshell,  stop complaining and do something about it.

As I said the words in my yoga class, I realized that is what I had just done at my workplace.

 

And it was life changing.

I had been feeling useless, stagnant, outdated, almost resentful about my job and although I hadn't started complaining to the world around me (mostly just to my husband) I was about ready to spew.  And then suddenly,  I made a spur of the moment decision that changed my life. I followed my instinct....remember that $800 class I signed up for, (see earlier blog post....Jumping in Without A life Jacket), an online social media marketing certification class? The one my husband said "no" to doing, two seconds after I clicked the sign up now button?

Well I knew it was something I needed to do. I clicked that button and I was confident I was doing the right thing.  But would my company believe in me? Would my husband?

Turns out they did. I prepared a memo to my company asking that they let me head up their social media marketing effort, and asked them to pay for my class. They agreed. No arguments and without many questions. I cannot tell you how good I felt doing something to change my course...

 

I'd like to think that I recognized a problem, and was offering them a solution. I channeled a negative habit into a creative process, and used my energy to change the world, well, at least my world, in a positive way. So if you find yourself complaining, don't beat yourself up. Instead figure out what is bothering you and dare to make a change.

It's empowering, and uplifting and it just might change your life and the lives of those around you.