Day 30- Don't Complain, Just Work Harder

Today TLL has Pausch reflecting on his quadriplegic landlord and baseball great Jackie Robison.

Pausch's landlord, Sandy, was an athletic young man with a fiance when he fell down into the cellar of a building. He lost his fiance and the function of his limbs, a situation that would lead most people into depression and a path of despair. Sandy wound up going to school and becoming a licensed marriage counselor, he got married and adopted kids. Pausch said that Sandy had the most non-whining attitude he had ever seen.

Secondly, Pausch discusses Jackie Robinson's character. Robison was spit on as a baseball player and he had to work harder than fellow white players to be signed. He was discriminated against by fans and players alike, and yet he did not retaliate. Assessing himself, Robinson said, "I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me ... all I ask is that you respect me as a human being."

Pausch closes with this, "Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have infinite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won't make us happier."

I complain about so many trivial things- mostly my weight. I try to stop my husband from complaining when he gets started by reminding him of the things we do have, but I have a hard time stopping myself once I get started. Funny how we can see things in others that we cannot in ourselves. Once I am on the blah spiral, it is hard to get off of it on my own.

One of the best things I have found to deter complaining is my 9 month old. We are currently in the honeymoon stage where everything she does is perfect and I am her best thing. There is nothing like picking her up from daycare: when she sees me she smiles, convulses with excitement, and then crawls to me. How great is that? All she knows is that I am love and she wants it. Almost like a dog ;) I thank God every day that I have this piece of innocence to hold on to. What a blessing babies are.

--God, I ask that you help me to not be a whiner. Please give me the self control to catch myself once I get started on a downward spiral. Help me to think of the positives that are around me. Amen.