Last week, my friends and I were on a boat that stalled on the water and wouldn’t restart. Was the event frustrating for the boat owners who thought the issue was fixed? Maybe, though the guests didn’t care.
Know what? Our hosts handled the inconvenience beautifully with several solutions. They knew what to do and remained cool, calm and in control. (Put the hood up which is a sign to other boaters they needed help.) They called someone back at the lake house to give notice we may need help if we couldn’t get it from another boater.
Guess what? Two different resources appeared to help tow us back to shore. Lucky for us, one of our heroes was piloting an Official U.S. Tow Boat. He said he had nothing planned and had all day to help us if needed.
Everyone stayed positively, and we made it back safely. There was plenty of time to eat too much, to play several competitive rounds of Rummikub, and to talk and laugh well into the night,.
Now, compare how positively everyone dealt with the boating situation to one that you’ve witnessed with a complainer or energy drainer.
⛔ Complainers and Energy Drainers aren’t Problem Solvers. They are Problem Dumpers. ⛔
Some seem to have bad days every day and want to tell everyone about it. Those negative people come to you to whine about inconveniences or changes. They waste your time and stir up trouble. These negative souls refuse to be proactive and arrive without any ideas to solve the issue they are facing.
❓ Have you ever wanted to tell someone, “Your complaining isn’t helping the situation, look for a solution” when that person vents to you?
❓What do you say to people who think that you want to
listen to all their moans and groans?
❓How many people do you know who won’t follow your advice no matter what you say?
To keep complainers from wasting your time, try the following phrases:
✅ “Wow. What are you going to do about that?”
✅“Sounds like you have some decisions to make. What have you considered?”
✅“I am so glad that is not my problem. What are your options?”
Ask constant complainers to solve their own problems. Hopefully, they will stop trying to use you as their dumping ground. Remember, you don’t have time to deal with all your problems AND all of theirs as well.
By the way, if you are dealing with stress in your world, consider spending time with positive people who make you laugh. Friends are crucial to negotiating a great life.
Instead of Complaining – Deal with It
