Shift Your Gaze

Would we still be homosapiens if we don’t complain? Yes, we have all done it—myself included. You know, sometimes I wonder if other animals complain as much as humans do. Maybe birds do—their frequent chirping sounds like complaining. Then again perhaps, that’s just them communicating. Who knows? But, that’s besides the point—back to humans.

As I journey through life, I must confess, I have met some unique individuals that complained a lot. Literally, they complained and whined about every single thing. It takes a load of patience and grace to deal with such individuals. The amazing thing is we can all relate to these individuals which makes it easier to extend sympathy. Knowingly and unknowingly, we have all been complainers at some point. We complain when it’s too hot, we complain when it’s too cold. We complain when it rains, we complain when it’s dry. We complain when the weekend ends, we complain when the weekday begins. We just complain—about almost everything and anything.

In the midst of crisis, we are wired to instantly worry and complain about the situation. However, if you can shift your gaze to what’s actually working, you’ll realize how minuscule the current problem is in comparison to the world around you. In the face of challenges, instead of complaining that things aren’t going well and questioning your Creator, why not make a list and count your blessings? Why not magnify what’s actually going well and thank God that your situation isn’t worse?

Don’t exhaust your energy highlighting all that is going wrong. What about all that isn’t going wrong? Why not highlight those instead? Just as worry doesn’t fix anything, complain doesn’t either. When you shift your gaze to the bright side of the equation, it becomes easier to move forward and bounce back from setbacks. A million and one things may not be working out for your good currently, but what about the other million and one things that are actually working out good for you?

Believe me, I know it’s hard and almost doesn’t make sense to maintain a spirit of gratitude in the midst of challenges—however, that’s when it is most important. I recall taking an exam and not doing so well on it. In that instance, the natural response was for me to feel sadness and complain. In fact, the last thing on my mind was to count my blessings. I was so disappointed and didn’t feel like thanking God or minimizing my current defeat. However, I still did it. I ignored the fact that it made no sense, or didn’t ‘feel’ like it—I did it anyway. Complaining won’t change the damage, yeah? So, might as well choose positivity over negativity.

“… in everything give thanks.”

I Thessalonians 5:18

#TheSunShinethAgain!