“People complain too much” A quote that I heard today while driving in to the office. It caught me with full force. In the same conversation I also heard, “people should start worrying about being interested, and stop worrying about being interesting”. Another powerful quote that really just resonated with me.
Turn on a television on any given day and you will see some athlete finding a way to be the most interesting person on the field. We, the ones watching, are excited and interested in the antics being displayed. But at what cost is it for the athlete to display these antics? Through the course of my experience watching sports the individuals that tend to survive through a great career are the ones who are focused on the work they are meant to do. They focus on what is in their control and do not spend time worrying about being interesting.
Now, do not let me misrepresent these individuals who are focused on doing their work. They are definitely interesting to us. But their focus for themselves is more about being interested in what they are doing and are capable of doing. They are not complaining about what they don’t have. They are not complaining about the money they are not making. They are not spending time in public light asking others to find them interesting.
Now apply these concepts to the average individual. Through the course of one work week how often do you spend time attempting to be noticed? How much time do you worry about whether or not you will get a raise so you can pay your bills? How much time do you spend trying to be interesting to others either in your professional life or your personal life? Doesn’t it become overwhelming?
We all have trials and tribulations. But there is always someone who has it worse off than us. So stop complaining. Stop trying to be interesting to others. Focus on being interested in what you can do with the here and now. It’s a game changer. I’m interested in being a good father. I’m interested in working hard today. I’m interested in being done with work at the end of the day so I can relax. I’m interested in having fun and enjoying the weekend watching sports. I’m done trying to be interesting to other people. I am who I am and I’m not complaining.