Friday, September 21, 2012

Complain! Complain! Complain!


“Complaining about your job, next to baseball, is the national pastime.”

Michelle Goodman
The Anti 9 to 5 Guide

I’ve Been Thinking . . . about a group of people I don't enjoy being around.

The headline read: ‘When ‘take this job and shove it’ isn’t enough.’ The article highlighted the actions of an executive who bomb blasted his company’s blind pursuit of profits. Once a respected employer, the disgruntled ex-employee claimed the work environment became “toxic and destructive.”

It’s not my intent to judge the validity or absurdity of the condemnation. He’s not the first person to criticize their employer.

Remember the Jet Blue flight attendant who cursed out an entire plane full of passengers over the PA, grabbed a beer, and deployed the emergency chute for his dramatic exit – from the airplane and the company. He ‘slid’ his way into a questionable employment future.

I get letters periodically from disgruntled people expressing the unfairness of their situation and asking me to ‘fix it.’ Unfortunately, the majority of these letters are unsigned. It is difficult to resolve the issues of a ‘ghost.’ In addition, I’m always intrigued by the expression that they are victims and unable to do anything about their current situation. I learned a long time ago from Lou Holtz that, “The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it."

I recently heard about a group of people who over a few years resigned, retired or were released from the same employer. They still gather periodically for ‘happy hour’ to complain about their past employer and relive their unhappiness. Apparently they subscribe to Drew Carey’s observation: “Oh, you hate your job? Why didn’t you say so? There’s a support group for that. It’s called everybody, and they meet at the bar.” Yikes! Doesn’t seem like a good antibiotic for healing the nagging infection of being disgruntled.

So what’s my point? Here’s a little food for thought for the complainer and non-complainer alike.

I sincerely don’t believe this is how we are intended to live our lives or who we are intended to be influenced by. Stay away from these compulsive complaining people. Limit your exposure to their ‘life is terrible’ addiction. They will suck the energy from your very body. Unfortunately, there is no transfusion available to replenish the lost vitality but separation will help.

Even more important . . . don’t be one of these people. As Anthony J. D’ Angelo in The College Blue Book says, “If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it.” Beware! Most complainers don’t think or know they are . . . energy suckers.

Find something good about your job, the people you work with, the lunch hour they provide, the paycheck you receive. . . Something! Dwell on it until you get your mind off of the negative. If nothing else, at least spend equal time in gratitude as you do complaining. As Robert Cook advised: “Say and do something positive that will help the situation; it doesn’t take any brains to complain.” In fact, most continual complainers quickly reveal their ignorance because they have nothing intelligent to say.

Stay away from the ‘poor me’ mentality. Other people are just as busy as you are, have as many or more problems as you do and don’t have the energy to heal your life and theirs. If only we all spent as much time being thankful for the blessings we receive as we do the bummers we experience.

Do a little self-analysis concerning your complaining quotient. Ask a trusted friend what they think of your attitude. Tell a trusted friend, co-worker or neighbor you can no longer endure exposure to their continual complaining. You’ll be amazed at the renewed vigor you will experience at every ounce of negativity you shed. . . yours and others.

“Totally self-responsible people look upon themselves as self-employed, no matter who signs their paychecks, in the final analysis they work for themselves.”

Brian Tracy