If you have read any of my previous posts then you will likely be able to infer how I feel about complaining. I hate it. I despise it. While I do not try to assume anybody's circumstances and understand that people can be going through difficult times, I truly believe that it is necessary to constantly put into perspective how lucky you are. When you compare your problems to those who are truly suffering then you would have to be pretty self-entitled to feel as though you have a right to not be grateful. While this might be an eye-rolling statement to many people, I think it is essential in order to avoid dark times. This line of thought is very much in line with much of stoicism.

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But despite this seemingly immovable stance, I do think there is an exception. I also believe that exception is where stoicism could potentially have some drawbacks. I have began experiencing some of these drawbacks recently in my life. The issue is that if you don't address problems in your life then you will not be able to fix them. You know, that old 'first step in solving any problem' saying. If someone were to truly never complain then they would be tolerating issues in their life which could be addressed and resolved. Is sitting alone with self-proclaimed enlightenment really the best way to live your life? Well if you are a full-blooded stoic, you can't really say otherwise. But I think most of us would disagree with that assessment.

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I think that the solution is found in acknowledging that there are certain aspects of your life which could be improved, while still remaining grateful for what you have. After all, isn't that the ultimate form of gratitude? To maximize your opportunities and not let them go to waste? The caveat is that if you strive to maximize an opportunity and things do not end up panning out perfectly, that you should still remain happy and content. So long as you are maximizing what is under your control and not stressing over what is not under your control. You can try your best in a competition, but you cannot control the judges scores. You can exercise daily and have a good diet, but you cannot control a randomly occurring illness. You can be kind and honest with people, but you cannot control their reactions.

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Rather than never thinking about the negative elements of your life, face them head on and try to overcome or improve upon them.