Shut Up, Get Up, & Do Something About It | A Rant

Please excuse me as I venture on to have the biggest Monday b*tch rant you've ever heard.

There are a few types of people: people that are dealt a bad hand and accept it, people that are dealt a bad hand and do something about it, and people that are dealt a bad hand and complain about it. I'm fairly positive that my number one pet peeve of all time is when people complain endlessly about things within their locus of control.

It's human nature to complain. College is expensive, no job pays enough, taking out the trash sucks and I'm fairly positive no one likes to work on a Monday. But, what I absolutely cannot tolerate is when someone endlessly complains about circumstances with solutions - as if sympathy is going to solve their problem.

Mind you, I am a very 'identify problem - find solution' person and this may sound harsh (I don't care.) Respectfully, there are plenty of circumstances where "it's not that easy" applies - but, what is easy is taking a step in the right direction. We are all fighting battles and it is each of our own responsibility to do something to move in the direction of bettering ourselves and our position. No one expects you to solve all of your problems, but people respect you for making an honest effort.

There is absolutely nothing that you can do to change the balls that are thrown in your court - it's what you do with them. You can either stand there like a dodge ball target or play like Michael Jordan. Without a shadow of doubt there is always a way to a solution if you take things with a grain of salt, one day at a time. If you want to make a change, accomplish a goal ... the first step is getting out of bed and making the decision to make a change, you will get nowhere with simply wishing or constantly having someone 'save' you. Eventually, people will stop giving you sympathy. Eventually, people will stop helping you.Small steps and big leaps both get you up the stairs, but you have a higher chance of tripping and falling when you're moving too fast to the top. Start small.

For example:

Complaint #1: I'm broke

Well, do you have job? Assuming you do, let's start there. Even if it's not what you want to do for the rest of your life, a superior position looks better on a resume and bonus - you'll make more money. You're not going to get promoted based on seniority, you're not going to get promoted just by doing what you're doing. You cannot expect to get promoted if you outshine your coworkers on a seldom basis. Never expect, start small. Start by going in a little bit earlier, then start going above and beyond in your work, then (after your efforts have become habits) have a sit down with your boss about your career path and interest in moving up in the company. It all starts with one small step - going in a little bit earlier. If you don't have a job, I really don't want to hear you complain. There is always a job, even if it's not glamorous and not the job you want. You can't be picky, you're broke.

Complaint #2: My boyfriend sucks

Breaking up isn't easy, but it's possible. I feel like break-ups last forever. You break-up, you're back together, you break-up, you're back together, but you eventually reach a point where you know getting back together isn't going to work, the attraction has disappeared, and you know you deserve better. I will give you sympathy for the first three to six months - I get it, break-ups suck. During my last breakup I had this fabulous friend give me fabulous advice: She told me she (a) didn't want to hear about it anymore and (b) I needed to cut him off from all social media outlets / forms of communication... it worked. As with complaint #1, start small. If you do everything at once you'll rebound and go back to him. First, block him off all social media. You'll have no idea what he's doing or who he's doing. You know what that leaves you with? Nothing to talk to him about. Out of sight, out of mind. Eventually, texting will get boring. If you cannot resist the urge, block his number. Recruit a friend that agrees to text you all hours of the night and day to keep you occupied, feel free to text her 20 times in a row - it's not crazy if you warned her. It all started with one small step - blocking him on Instagram.

Complaint #3: I hate my body

First off, there is no realistic standard for weight. If my 6+ foot tall mother had my 5'4" frame, she would die. I don't think anyone should focus on a number. I think everyone should focus on being the healthiest possible version of themselves, not the thinnest. I just wanted to lay that disclaimer out there before anyone jumped on me for being superficial. When I hit 19 and my hips grew out 6 inches, I was the happiest girl on the block. Curves are beautiful, being happy with yourself is beautiful. If you are happy with what you see, don't change a thing. With that said, I am a thin individual - not unhealthy, I'm just small. This is due to genetics AND effort. I don't go to the gym every day and I do eat dessert every night, but I don't complain about my body and do nothing about it. I made the decision a long, long time ago what "healthy" for my body was and with the exclusion of weeks that I have been medically unable to do so have worked out 3 - 7 times per week. It is so frustrating when I hear someone complain about their weight / body and watch them continue to not workout and maintain their eating habits. So you have 20lbs to lose, you can either accept it, which is fine, but don't complain about it. If you expect immediate results, you'll go back to your habits. As with common complaint 1 and 2, start small. If you cannot run, walk. Eventually you'll be able to run. If you cannot cut out sweets, don't. Just have them in moderation. Every marathon starts with someone putting their running shoes on. Take small steps to reach your goal, but don't complain about it if you don't feel like getting off your ass.