Expert Feature: Are You Cursing the Fruit While Watering the Roots?
The Story of the Two Construction Workers and the Sardine Lunch
I heard an old story once about two construction workers who were having lunch.
When they open up their lunch boxes, one of the guys name Bill totally freaked out because in his lunch is a sardine sandwich.
That sent him on a tirade about how much he hated sardine sandwiches.
John offered to share his tuna sandwich with Bill, but Bill told him he would be ok. He just couldn’t stand sardine sandwiches.
Well, the next day at lunch as they opened their lunch boxes, Bill again gets upset because his lunch again contained a sardine sandwich. He can’t believe it since he hates sardine sandwiches!
Now guess what happened the next day?
On the third day, they open up their lunch boxes, and again, there was a sardine sandwich in Bill’s lunch!
John was tired of Bill complaining, so he finally said to Bill, “If you hate sardine sandwiches so much tell your wife to quit making them and to give you something else?”
Then Bill told John, “Oh, I’m not married, I make my own lunch every day.”
Now obviously, many things have changed much since this story was written.
Most men make their own lunches or some even make lunch for their wives.
But one thing has remained the same: We still complain about many things in life that really come from self-made results.
Not only will this kind of living never produce change, it is a foolishly dangerous way to live.
“Our complaints are like arrows shot up into the air at no target: and with no purpose they only fall back upon our own heads and destroy ourselves.”
– Sir William Temple
6 Steps That Will Help You to Stop Complaining and Start Changing
You can keep complaining and eating sardine sandwiches or you can finally decide it’s time to pack a different lunch.
If you’re ready to stop complaining and starting changing, then read on.
1. Start by looking at the results that you’ve been complaining about.
2. Make a list of the results that you have at least some part in.
3. From that list, choose the one result you are the most tired of complaining about.
4. Write down anything you need to stop doing to stop those results from happening.
5. Write down anything you can start doing that will bring new, or different, results.
6. Now begin to take action on those things you wrote down. (Stop doing the things that will stop the negative results and start doing the things that will bring new, positive results.)
It all resolves around wise action.
Because until you change your actions, you’re going to keep eating those sardine sandwiches!
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
– Leo Tolstoy
Photo by Saad.Akhtar
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