happy
istemi, who quoted this great passage today, which I want to save here, too, to smack myself over the head with it every day from now until May:I’m learning how much it pays to listen whenever you hear yourself mentally whining.
First off, even when it’s yourself, nobody likes a whiner. So it’s worthwhile to be mindful about the extent to which your internal monologue is becoming personally insufferable. As with B.O. and a lack of flossing, the chances are good that others have already noticed things about you before you have, so — you know — congratulations on making it to the party.
But, second, and perhaps more importantly, that whining should be telling you something. Whining is the white smoke in your tailpipe that lets you know you’re burning mental oil. It means you’re unconsciously devoting cycles to something that you can’t, won’t, or shouldn’t be spending time thinking about. Otherwise, why would it be bothering you, right? You’d be either extricated or done with it.
From Whining, White Smoke & the Mechanics of Getting Unstuck on 43Folders
