“Never complain, never explain.”
-Katharine Hepburn
There is a Chinese saying, “chi ku” which translates to “eating bitterness.” It’s a Confucian concept meaning that one should suck it up. And, in our family, we do, but not in silence. We have lifted up complaining to a high-art form. I come from a long, illustrious line of complainers. If there was a complaint Olympics, we’d be gold medalists.
This week, though, I’ve decided to start monitoring my complaining and counteracting every complaint with three things I’m grateful for. I mused to my husband, “If I’m not complaining, will I have anything to talk about?”
He responded, “Sure, you’ll have to keep saying all that you’re grateful for after all your complaining.”
Ha.
I realized that complaining was both energy sucking and kept me from paying attention to what works because I was occupied with what’s wrong.
In life, and in fundraising, we so often pay attention to what’s not working, and what’s frustrating instead of the triumphs and the wins.
So, this week, I challenge you to monitor yourself and stop your complaining.
Instead, refocus on what’s going right, what’s working and what is a win.
All of us can strive to be a little more like the elegant and mysterious Ms. Hepburn.
