Lifestyles

‘Suck it Up’: Quit Complaining and Enjoy Life

“Life is tough, but so are you.”

It is crucial to remember just how tough you are; no matter what life may throw at you. Life is full of smiles and tears, celebrations and tribulations. It is easy to complain about life, especially when faced with so many hardships. However, once the complaining stops and you actually live your life, you can learn a lot.

A study conducted by Psychology Today proved that negative experiences and perspectives are more contagious than positive experiences and perspectives. In other words, our brains are more apt to focus on the negative rather than the positive. When we focus on all the negativity in our lives, it can lead to us complaining or feeling sorry for ourselves.

Personally, there have been plenty of times in my life where all I did was focus on the negative and complained about it. Two years ago, my father suddenly passed away. Shortly after that, I purchased my first brand new car. After a month of having my new car, I was a victim of a hit and run. Not too long after that, my best friend of seven years moved to upstate New York.  All I did was complain and think “Why me?” But life, becomes a lot more meaningful when you stop complaining and make it a point to recognize the good that can be found in each and every day that is spent above ground.

A sophomore communications student, Emily Blaser said, “I’ve done my fair share of complaining, but what I’ve realized is that all it does is set you back. You accomplish so much more when you stop complaining and just do the work!”

This is exceptionally true, especially for college students. It is easy to complain about assignments, oral presentations, and exams, but once the complaining stops, you can get all that work done and then some. Complaining only takes away from other things that we want to accomplish or enjoy.

Communication Professor Kelly Harney-Furgason, shared a similar response to Blaser. She said, “You are the boss of your own life. Don’t whine about it, DO something about it.” If you have a lot of work to do, stop complaining and get it done. If you are unhappy with the way life is going, stop complaining and do something to change it.

A junior psychology student, Taylor Klemm, explained,  “Complaining never gets you very far no matter what the challenge is. The best thing you can do when you are faced with a challenge is looking it straight in the eye and give it all you have to overcome that particular encounter. By doing that, you will learn a lot about yourself and realize that you are capable of much more than you ever imagined,” said Klemm.

There is a lot to learn, and there is also a lot to enjoy, once you stop complaining. When dealing with hardships or a stressful situation, it is important to remember that instead of complaining the rosebush is full of thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses.