Just for fun, I took a casual inventory of all the world’s folktales which focus on ‘complaining.’ The Internet makes it easy, of course; and my own library of folktale volumes helped a great deal…and let me say this: every culture, around the globe, has stories to share about the meaninglessness of complaining.

Most of us know what complaining is - and we should, because we do enough of it! It seems that’s all I hear these days…complaining about the weather, the economy, the job, the marriage, the kids, the…well, you get the idea. Complaining is expressing pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment - and it appears that a lot of people have a lot of all three.

What really amazes me is that most of our complaints begin (and end) with ourselves. We are the cause of our unhappiness, our dissatisfaction - because our perceptions of reality are out-of-alignment with what is really happening. Here’s a great example of a complaint that truly begins with the speaker….a Middle Eastern folktale.

The Cheese Sandwich

During lunch break at work, the Mullah was getting exasperated.  Every time he opened his lunchbox, it was a cheese sandwich.  Day after day, week after week, it was the same - a cheese sandwich.

“I am getting sick and tired of this lousy cheese sandwich,” complained the Mullah repeatedly.  His co-workers gave him some advice; “Mullah, you don’t have to suffer through a cheese sandwich over and over again.   Tell your wife to make you something different.  Be firm with her if you have to.”

“But I’m not married,” replied the Mullah.  By now, puzzled and confused, his colleagues asked, “Then who makes your sandwiches?”

“Well, I do!” replied the Mullah.

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The Mullah had created his own unhappiness! And, the reverse is possible: he could (as can you) create your own happiness, you own satisfaction with life. I can hear you now…”How?”

By assuming responsibility for your life - the “good” and the “bad.” You must say, “I want to accept more responsibility for everything in my experience.”

Here are some examples of what I mean by accepting responsibility:

• If I’m unhappy, it’s because I’m creating it.

• If I want something, it’s up to me to achieve it.

• If I want certain people in my life, I must attract and invite them to be with me.

• If I don’t like my present circumstances, I must end them.

Complaining is the denial of responsibility.  And blame is just another way of excusing yourself from being responsible.  But this denial still wields its own creative power.

When you catch yourself complaining, stop and ask yourself this question: 

“Do I want to continue to deny responsibility for my reality?”

If you do, then settle in, for a long, unhappy, unfulfilled time.

While I was browsing the Internet, I found this remarkable poem on complaining, by Ann Brown. Published on Helium (“Where Knowledge Rules”), this short poem says it all…with humor:

Tell me your woes and I’ll tell you mine,
Be sure to make coffee, for this will take time,
I am here for you and you for me
When we are done , we are sure to be free.

Complain about all, your doubts, fears, and pain.
If need be, repeat your complaints again
I think when your done, and I begin mine,
You may realize that actually, you are quite fine.

Remember this, dear complainer, that I lent you an ear
When you return home, leave your complaints here.
Your family will appreciate, the time that I took
To write your complaits in a very big book.

Now next time you feel , the need to complain
Pick up that complaint book, and read it again.
I think when your done reading, my dear complainer

You may realize, complaining makes you sound insane.

Insanity, anyone? No way!