In my early twenties, I met a commercial producer who would eventually become one of my best friends.
We've been through the trenches together since 1994. The ups, the downs, and the all-arounds. We've laughed until we cried, cried until we laughed, and somehow managed to remain friends despite knowing entirely too much about each other.
Early in our friendship, she taught me a lesson that's stuck with me for more than thirty years: It’s okay to complain. But only for a little while.
Her philosophy was/is simple: if something isn't working, gripe about it. Vent. Whine. Stomp your feet if you must. Throw yourself a pity party if you must. But eventually, that party has to end.
At some point, you have to stop talking about what's wrong and start figuring out what you're going to do about it. Flip the script. Press on.
At the time, I thought she was being a little extreme. Now I think she was brilliant.
Because let's be honest: complaining is easy. Hell, sometimes it's even fun. It feels productive. We gather evidence. We build our case. We recruit witnesses. Before long, we're presenting Exhibit A through Exhibit Z explaining why our boss, our boo, the economy, Mercury in retrograde, or the guy next door is personally responsible for our misery.
Meanwhile, nothing changes.
Over the years, I've realized her advice applies to just about every corner of life.
Creative slump? Try something different.
Unhappy at work? Polish that résumé.
Feeling lonely? Call someone instead of waiting for someone to call you.
Health headed in the wrong direction? Take a walk. Drink some water. Maybe don’t eat the entire package of Oreos while standing in the kitchen. (Not that I’d know anything about that.)
Even our own stories can become stale if we keep telling the same tall tales.
“I’m too old.”
“I’m too late.”
“I’m not talented enough.”
“I’ve always been this way.”
Those stories feel true because we've repeated them so many times. But they're still stories. And if we're the authors, we can always write a new chapter.
That doesn't mean every new plan succeeds.
Believe me, I've had ideas crash and burn so spectacularly they practically qualified as neighborhood fireworks. I've launched projects nobody noticed, chased opportunities that went nowhere, and spent far too much time trying to force square pegs into round holes.
But every time I was willing to pivot instead of pouting, I learned something.
Every attempt reminded me that progress doesn’t come from getting everything right. It comes from refusing to stay stuck.
These days, when I hear myself complaining about the same thing over and over again, I also hear my friend's voice: “Okay…now what are you going to do about it?”
I don’t always love the question. But I almost always need it.
Life doesn't reward those who point out what's wrong. It rewards those who roll up their sleeves and try to make it right. The real magic happens when we stop rehearsing our complaints and start writing a different ending.
So by all means, complain. Get it out of your system. Call a friend.
Then take a deep breath, dust yourself off, flip the script, and press on.
Words help us process where we’ve been. But actions determine where we’re going.
At the end of the day, the person you should work hardest to impress isn’t your boss, your neighbors, or the strangers scrolling past your posts. It’s the man staring back at you in the mirror.
Give that man a reason to smile.
Keep calm and press on!
Clint 🌈✌️
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
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BORN THIS WAY ON THIS DAY
08-04 = John August (1970- ) = American director and screenwriter 🌈
08-04 = Marcus Urban (1971- ) = German footballer and diversity adviser 🌈
08-04 = Percy Bysshe Shelley (1972-1822) = English poet and playwright 🌈
08-04 = Rudi van Dantzig (1933-2012) = Dutch choreographer and dancer 🌈
08-04 = Sapphire (1950- ) = American writer 🌈
08-04 = Walter Pater (1839-1894) = English essayist and art critic 🌈
MAN CRUSH OF THE DAY
“The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.”
Barack Obama
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Clint, Another one of your EXCELLENT ADVICE to help turn around any situation. Now just to be able to remember it! Fondly, Michael