OPINION —
A good friend caught me off guard with a gentle rebuff. He had listened patiently while I rehearsed my story of having been treated unfairly. He had heard all the gory details before, even though the hurtful event had been history for two years.
As I began sharing my self-pity story once again, my friend interrupted me and said bluntly, “Walter, don’t you think it is time you stopped talking about all that garbage and get on with your life?”
The silence was as stunning as the look on my face. Staring into his eyes, I was surprised at my reaction. I felt no anger at his candor. He had said exactly what I needed to hear. It was time for me to stop blabbering about the past and move on.
I broke the silence by responding, “You are right. I need to stop complaining about all that mess, and I will stop right now.” I thanked him for speaking the truth in love to me. It was a reality check I sorely needed.
My friend helped me to remember that I am in charge of the garbage of my past. I can choose to retrieve it and stir in it again and again, or I can let it go. Letting it go frees me to enjoy today’s blessings.
I love it when I ask a friend how he is doing and he replies, “I can’t complain.” Can’t complain? He could, but he chooses not to!
Some of us bore our friends with our complaints. We grumble about the decisions of our politicians or about how someone has mistreated us. There is no end of the things we can gripe about.
But remember, at any given time, things could be worse. And no amount of complaining will change anything. When you feel compelled to squawk about your problems, stop and give yourself a reality check. This could prompt you to stop complaining and begin celebrating your blessings. You may have overlooked some of your blessings while focusing on the objects of your dissatisfaction.
Ask yourself this question: Is there ever a morning when you wake up hoping you will meet someone who will bend your ear with their complaints about everything from apples to zebras? Well guess what? Nobody wants to hear your complaints, either!
Ask another question: Would you like to be known and remembered as a positive person or a negative person, an overcomer or a victim? I love the word “overcom-er.” That’s someone who handles difficulties with a victorious spirit. I want to live so that people will think of me as a person who is trusting Jesus for victory no matter how difficult my circumstances.
Some folks enjoy singing with others, “We Shall Overcome.” It’s a good song that you can personalize and sing about your hardships. “With the help of Jesus, I shall overcome!”
Businesses use taglines to build a favorable reputation. Examples are: McDonald’s — “I’m lovin’ it”; De Beers: “A Diamond is Forever”; State Farm: “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there”; Nike: “Just Do It.” Coca-Cola has used many slogans; I liked this one: “Taste the Feeling.”
So, by what tagline are you known? The longer you live, the more your behavior is building you the reputation of being either a celebrator or a complainer. A celebrator joyfully celebrates something and invites others to join in the celebration. A complainer expresses dissatisfaction about something and invites others to share their discontent.
Taglines for a celebrator may include words like praise, rejoice, applaud, cheer and commend. Do your friends think of any of those words when they think of you?
Words that identify a complainer are disagreeable, criticism, rebuke, gripe, protest and chide. Hopefully, none of those words define you in the eyes of others.
You alone can decide which word you wish to be your primary tagline. But this you can count on: If you stop complaining and begin celebrating what is good about life, you will soon earn the celebrator tagline, and you will become known as a person who is fun to live with.
What’s the tagline by which you are known?
