By Abigail Gan | Staff Writer
Post-Thanksgiving, there’s a crisp chill in the air, Christmas decorations grow in number and everyone collectively prepares for the final stretch of the semester. But along with the sweet smell of winter break’s arrival, there’s a stench that lingers and permeates everything it touches — a stench that should have left with Thanksgiving but nevertheless is still a
It’s the stench of complaining.
Logically, coming out of Thanksgiving, gratitude should be at the forefront of our minds. With all the things we have given thanks for, we shouldn’t feel obliged to complain all the time. Yet we do.
Complaining is the norm in our culture and often a default. When we’re in situations with other people, have assignments we don’t want to do or find ourselves inconvenienced, we complain. Complaining is almost desirable. It’s a “bonding experience” between people — a conversation starter or topic.
Philippians 2:14-15 says to “do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.”
Especially for those of us who are Christians, we should be guarding against complaining. The Bible calls us to stop complaining and arguing. As believers, we more accurately and profoundly reflect the gospel when we stop complaining. Doing all things without complaining and arguing is unique and uncommon in our current culture. It makes us stand out as bright lights.
How do we combat grumbling and complaining? Why, with gratitude, of course.
A study found that gratitude activates the hippocampus and amygdala — the two main sites that regulate emotions, memory and bodily functioning. Studies also show that people whose brains are filled with gratitude are prone to sleeping better, are more resilient to emotional setbacks and negative experiences and are less likely to have anxiety or depression.
According to the UCLA Center of Mindfulness Awareness Research, gratitude allows us to feel happier and more content and changes the neural structures of our brains.
While this may sound great, it is often easier said than done. Life can be hard and overwhelming, and it can be tough to live with gratitude at times. There are situations where it may be impossible to approach life in this way without additional or professional help.
However, living in gratitude and out of complaint is worth the effort. In this life, we will experience great joys, milestones, trials and hardships. Beginning to practice and implement a posture of gratitude will change our hearts and our lives.
