The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work

Chapter 11. The Positive Road

"I think it's pretty clear," Hope said as she calmed down a bit. "But when you feel the way I do, it's as if the positive road is closed with a big sign that says Do Not Enter, if you know what I mean. And besides, what about venting?" Hope asked. "Sometimes you need to let it out. Sometimes a person just needs to complain. You hear psychologists say it all the time. That it's healthy to vent, and if people don't have an outlet, then it's bad for their health. Ironic don't you think, since you work in a hospital?"

"The psychologists are wrong!" shouted Joyce, raising her hand in the air.

"They are right about one thing. We were born to complain. As babies, we cried our hearts out to get what we want. When we were hungry, we cried and our Momma fed us. When we were tired, we cried and we were rocked to sleep. We cried to get our way all the time, and it worked like a charm. Unfortunately, far too many are still using an adult form of crying—called complaining—to get what they want or to express their feeling of helplessness. But just as we learned not to suck our thumb and sleep without a night-light, we must also outgrow the habit of complaining. There are certainly better and more productive ways to deal with our negative feelings. Sure, we all need to complain once in a while. Everyone does. But, Hope, I've got you pegged, and you are not a one-time complainer. ...