Quit Complaining!

I complain far more than I should for a happily married woman with a beautiful home and 2 perfect pups!  And it seems to me that the better off people are the more they complain; we as a society focus far more on what we don't have than what we do.

For instance, if you were to ask me how my weekend was I would say: "It sucked, I had drill." Drill isn't exactly my favorite way to spend a weekend, but it's something I volunteered for...no one made me sign up for the National Guard. It also puts a little extra money in my pocket...not a lot, a little, but hey it's something! Not to mention the fact that I spent a lot of quality time in with my dogs, had a good workout on Sunday and didn't have the "Sunday Scaries" that accompany a hangover and realization that you have accomplished nothing after a weekend of partying.

I've noticed my co-workers all have similar complaints about their weekends, "We went fishing which was great BUT...." "We went shopping and got an awesome deal on new furniture BUT..." [Insert complaint here].  It's like we're all trying to find something to complain about.  Is it because we feel guilty after everyone else complains if we say "Oh...sorry you all had crappy weekends but my weekend was great and I have no complaints."  NOBODY LIKES THAT GUY! But...no one likes Debbie Downer either.  The person that is constantly complaining about being too busy, too tired, too broke, that get's old fast.  Everyone could use more time, sleep and money but the bottom line is our lives are all a result of the choices we make...and they're pretty nice lives.

I might be tired, but I have a nice bed to sleep in (and 3 spare beds for any friends that might be in need of one).  I might wish I had more money, but I pay my bills on time every month and I own a house and a car that I love. Every day might not always be perfect, but I come home every night to a loving husband who puts back together any pieces that might have fallen apart during the day. And there are a lot of people in this world who don't have any of that.  There are over a million victims of human trafficking worldwide. There are children with no beds to sleep in and no food to eat right here in the USA.  There are people in countries around the world that go to bed in fear of the war and terrorism that has overtaken their country.

Whenever I feel the urge to complain, I'm going to remind myself of these people who have so much less than I do and who would switch places with me in an instant. I am going to feel grateful for what I have and happy about the life I live...and you should too!  I don't want to get too crazy, I am going to start small and see if I can make it an entire week...just 7 days...without making a single complaint and we'll go from there.  I'll let you know how it goes!  And you should try it too!