Grateful Rita versus Grumpy Roberta – Who Would You Like to Hang Around?

To hear her tell it, Roberta had a rough life.

Co-workers were always arguing with her. She was always getting cut off in traffic, or being targeted for parking tickets. Authority figures had it out for her, and that made it hard for her to keep a job. Every day, she had something to complain about, and she never missed an opportunity to do so.

Roberta’s sister, Rita, on the other hand, lived a wonderful life. Sure, her divorce was painful, but she was so grateful for the kids and the lessons she’d learned during the separation. And yeah, chemo had taken all of her hair, but she often smiled as she told her friends how grateful she was that the chemo took her cancer too. To hear her tell it, Rita was the luckiest woman alive.

It’s probably not surprising that Roberta had a unique knack for clearing a room by simply walking into it, while Rita frequently found herself surrounded by friends and family who loved her.

Let’s be straight…complaining may feel good in the moment, but the fact of the matter is that nobody wants to hear your complaints. Complaining for complaint sake is unproductive and off-putting. You may blow off some steam and validate your frustrations, but complaints don’t solve problems; in fact, they often create more. 

Gratitude, on the other hand, does solve problems. It gives you the mindset you need to find opportunity everywhere, even in the negative and challenging circumstances of life. Grateful people are fascinating, attractive, and immensely magnetic.

Plus, gratitude has the magic ability to turn a would-be complaint into a productive analysis of challenges and the lessons they hold.

Read my story of what occurred in the hospital room after my breast cancer surgery.