Why do we complain? We complain for so many reasons but many times we don’t have good reasons to complain. If the motive is right, there are enough good reasons to complain but some things you complain about will become needless if only you ask yourself what you intend to achieve by complaining.

Some actions we take are products of reflex action that give us little or no time to think through the actions we are about to take. With the benefit of hindsight, if you think through some things you struggle for, you would realise that it is not worth it. Sometimes, it is more profitable to let go.

If you don’t define your motive clearly, you will win some victories before you find out that they are empty victories after all that are not deserving of your time, energy and resources. Same applies if you don’t clearly understand your motive for complaining about what can easily pass unnoticed.

I had an encounter with my driver some years back. We found ourselves in a traffic snarl that kept us on a spot for several minutes. There was a broken down vehicle on the next lane to us. With little movement, the man directly behind the broken down vehicle signaled to join our lane to navigate his way out but my driver blocked him. I asked him why he denied the man but he had no answer.

I reminded him that the traffic wasn’t even moving, so why the rush? And in any case, it wasn’t the man’s fault that the vehicle in front of him broke down. Would he have remained there or jump over the stationary vehicle?

Several minutes later, we remained on the same spot. It was only then my driver realised that the struggle for space was needless. He didn’t think before he acted. Some things we struggle for are unnecessary if only we ask ourselves why.

Why do you complain? Is it to solve the problem or to state the problem? Many times we simply state the problem without a mention of how to solve the problem. That is when complaining becomes unproductive.

The next time you want to complain, ask yourself what your motive is. If your motive is to complain just for the sake of complaining, let go.

©️Akin Oluwadare Jnr
04 July 2022