I understand that an Athens hotel posts a sign which reads: "Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. daily."
And you thought people didn't have to be told when to complain! I do realize that all that is wrong in this world will not be fixed if it is not addressed. And there are those times when dissatisfaction should be expressed. I am also aware that we all have different temperaments. I just don't want to be one of those people who spend their lives "standing at the complaint counter"!
Some people have taught themselves to look for what is wrong, and then they fill their minds and conversation with it. For them, nothing is ever right.
One such woman frequented a small antique shop. She complained constantly about the prices, the quality and even the location. The shop owners took it in stride, but one day, while ranting about selection, she blasted the clerk with:
"Why is it I never manage to get what I ask for in your shop?"
The clerk smiled and replied, "Possibly, because we're too polite."
When a mind is filled with everything WRONG about the world, there is no room left for anything else. No room for genuine appreciation. No room for understanding. No room for enjoyment. No room for fond memories. No room for storing a list of all the things that bring pleasure. And there is much to feel good about!
Bob Orben rightly said, "The next time you feel like complaining, remember that your garbage disposal probably eats better than thirty percent of the people in this world."
I want to leave room in my mind for a long list of all that is good in my life, and recall that list regularly. I want to catch someone doing something right, and let her or him know. I want to fill my mind with that which brings me joy, that I may go to bed each evening contented.
"While others may argue about whether the world ends with a bang or a whimper," says television producer Barbara Gordon, "I just want to make sure mine doesn't end with a whine."
Now there's someone I'd like to get to know!
Steve Goodier