Notice what you complain about the most. It’s often the thing you care about the most too.
STILLNESS
WHAT THIS MEANS
Complaining is a sign of investment, which is why it is easy to misread. You do not spend energy on things you are indifferent to, so whatever you keep returning to is usually something you want to be good. The complaint is a want with the wrong face on.
Take the one you repeat most and turn it into a plain sentence about what you want instead. Then do the smallest thing in that direction: one request said out loud, one hour spent on it, one problem raised with the person who could fix it. Complaint costs the same energy and changes nothing.
A QUESTION TO SIT WITH
What do you complain about most, and why does it matter?
MORE IN SOLITUDE & SELF-KNOWLEDGE
- You can tell what you care about by what you’re still thinking about in the shower.
- Stocking shelves at night doesn’t define you. But what you notice and think about while doing it might.
- Notice when your shoulders creep up toward your ears. Your body often knows you’re stressed before your brain admits it.
Free, with nothing to buy inside it.