“Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world.” – Helen Keller
Boy, it is tough out there isn’t it? The economy is crappy, people are losing their jobs left and right, sales are down, businesses are closing. And the hits keep on coming.
It is very tempting to get caught up in our own self pity. To start whining… “Poor me… wah, wah, wah”.
Some classics I’ve heard recently:
· They’ve stopped giving us access to free sodas at work – a vending machine was installed…wah, wah, wah
· We just got a 5% pay cut…wah, wah, wah
· My boss doesn’t listen to me…wah, wah, wah
· My co-worker chomps their gum too loud…wah, wah, wah
Reality Check: There is someone out there who has it worse off than you – I promise you this.
It is so easy to get caught up in our own story. We all have “issues” – I don’t want to down play any of them – they are all important and sometimes very serious. But, many times in work situations, there is a tendency to get caught up in the drama that we lose sight of the important stuff.
Now – especially now – when times are tough – NO one wants to listen to a complainer. If you are unhappy with how things are going at work. My advice is to suck it up. When and if companies look to cut head counts, often times the easiest targets are the individuals who are the most negative.
If your company has cut back on some amenities – big deal – maybe they are tightening the financial belt, so they don’t have to take more drastic measures. If you just received a pay cut – be thankful you still have a job. If your boss doesn’t listen to you – cut them some slack, they are most likely really stressed out. And all those little annoyances that you deal with on a daily basis from your co-workers…now is not the time to take these to your boss or HR (trust me on this one).
It is time to show you are a team player, that you are valuable to the organization and that you can remain positive in difficult times. Be strong, keep your head down and your eye on the ball.
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2 Comments
Great post! Whining is like mental constipation. It stops the “flow” of positive events. I kicked the whining habit in 1978 but that’s another story. Whining is not limited to one situation; it tends to foster more whining. Once you start it’s hard to stop.
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Thanks Tom!
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