“See if you can catch yourself complaining, in either speech or thought, about a situation you find yourself in, what other people do or say, your surroundings, your life situation, even the weather. To complain is always nonacceptance of what is. It invariably carries an unconscious negative charge. When you complain, you make yourself into a victim. When you speak out, you are in your power. So change the situation by taking action or by speaking out if necessary or possible; leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness.”
― Eckhart Tolle
Image: Frozen Web by David Lee via Flickr.
*I will resume my regular posting schedule next week. Thank you.
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
I LOVE this quote. Thank you so much for sharing this. It arrived in my inbox at exactly the right time.
Glad it resonated with you. Thanks for letting me know.
Acceptance and gratitude….both strong antidotes to being a victim and/or complaining. I was just doing it this afternoon…complaining that is….then I went for a walk this evening and brought myself gently back to gratitude. Lovely quote.
I find that paying attention to the universal helps breed feelings of gratitude. Thanks for sharing your story, Barb.