Written by Chris Josh
One of the worst habits you can possibly have is the habit of complaining. It is detrimental and it robs you of a joyful life. "But Chris, my life is full of problems and I can't catch a break!" I've heard that one too many times.
I don't judge people who complain a lot as I used to be a complainer myself. As I detail in my book, "City Of Serpents," it was one thing after another. I dealt with child abuse (physical, mental and emotional) on a daily basis. And practically everyone else was against me.
I dealt with lots of bullying from kids at school and the neighborhood as well as adults too. I had all sorts of health issues. And truth be told, I had a lot to complain about. And honestly, who could blame me? I could't even blame myself really.
But when I was 42 years old, my son went in for major back surgery to correct his scoliosis condition. The doctor cautioned that if he didn't do the surgery ASAP, the curve in his spine was going to increase and his spine would crush his internal organs - besides a surgery at a later stage of scoliosis would be far more complicated.
Leading up to the surgery, I saw no point in complaining to anyone I knew. I figured, "what were they going to do for him?" So I declared not to complain to anyone about the situation and then I took it a step further and said that I'd never complain to anyone again about anything. And then a lightbulb went off in my mind. I said to myself, "and I'm not going to complain to myself either!"
I made up my mind to never have a complaining thought ever again. I accepted things as they were. This was a major step in my life. I didn't know the great implication it would have on my mental health as well as my overall experience in life itself.
All of a sudden there was more peace and calmness in my life. I started to feel and grow stronger, both mentally and emotionally. I felt like I could handle anything! This was a surprising side effect, I thought. I only stopped complaining because I got tired of complaining. And truth be told, I didn't want to burden others with my problems.
Would you believe that by stopping complaining that my problems started to resolve themselves and go away altogether? It's an incredible phenomena. Once I saw the direct results, I assured myself a hundred times over, "I WILL NEVER EVER COMPLAIN AGAIN OR HAVE A COMPLAINING THOUGHT EVER AGAIN!"
And it doesn't stop there. I vowed to never entertain a complainer either. Yeah, I know, that sounds a bit harsh but hear me out. Complaining can be contageous. Even if I didn't allow it turn me into a complainer, it's still negative energy. And I decided to clean house then (at the age of 42, 2.5 years ago). I told myself I'd no longer entertain negativity.
So, if I meet someone new and they turn out to be complainers, "goodbye!" I figure, if I'm not going to complain, I sure ain't going to hear someone else complain.
By getting rid of the habit, I freed myself from the bondage of the repetitive cycle. See, why you complain, the universe gives you more situations to perpetuate your complaining. So, in a weird way, if you want to stop complaining then you got to stop complaining. In other words, if you want situations that typically make you complain go away, then you have to stop complaining!