What happens when you complain

Stephen Hawking was a theoretical physicist, bestselling author, director of a major research center, popular mathematics professor at Cambridge, husband, father, and grandfather.

He also couldn’t walk, talk, or eat on his own. 

Dr. Hawking had a rare motor neurone disease that slowly took away all his bodily functions until he was confined to a wheelchair/computer apparatus that he controlled with his chin. He continued working and contributing to humanity up until his death in 2018.

He famously said, “When you complain, no one wants to help you.”

It’s true. 

When you focus on what’s wrong, that’s what you project. To other people, you won’t be a source of growth, strength, or inspiration, but a source of destruction, depletion, and effort.

Tracy DiNunzio learned this lesson early in her life. Like Hawking, she had the “right to complain,” having been born with spina bifida. 

In 2006, she put herself on a “complaining diet,” as she called it, and not only didn’t allow herself to say anything negative, but think anything negative. It was difficult, and it took a long time.

She credits stopping complaining with moving her life in a better direction. Today, she’s the CEO of Tradesy, which is estimated to be worth more than $100M.   

Here’s today’s exercise: monitor your thoughts and speech for complaints. Just become aware of their existence and power.