Time for some Action!

" To repeat the problems you are already aware of will only amplify them while revealing your unwillingness to act. "

I am tired of this. I don't want to go through this anymore. I can't keep doing this. We have all expressed sentiments such as these at one time or another. We have all listened patiently to the dissatisfaction of others knowing they will most likely follow the same pattern that brought them there. Often we insist that we can't take it anymore yet that is precisely what we will continue to do. Why do we continue to walk down the same dead end street and then complain about an outcome we already anticipated. The answer is simply that the expression of dissatisfaction is not what it appears to be. What is truly happening is that we become comfortable in our routines and the problems we know are not as bad as the ones we don't. As long as we speak our unhappiness we empower our displeasure. I remember once working at a job that made me miserable for 7 years yet how unhappy could I have really been to remain there for so long. It wasn't until I lost the fear of the unknown that I was able to let go of what was known. Satisfaction is a matter of comparison. One must know what it is to be content in order to know the feeling of discontent. Thus it is the unsatisfactory that makes the satisfactory more pleasant. The reality is that most people are unwilling to make the changes necessary to cure their mental, emotional and physical ailments. For example I once spoke to an elderly man who recently had a heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital and immediately went into surgery. The sides of his face curled in misery just telling me the story of how they shaved him in order to put a camera inside of him above his genital area to his heart to see what was going on internally. After discovering that his arteries were blocked he was told they would have to insert a stent in order to save his life. A stent is a small tube used to keep the artery open. He told me that it was a miserable experience that he cared not to repeat but it was likely if he didn't change his diet he would be back to get another one in his left artery. I asked him if he made the necessary dietary adjustments and his answer was "no way. I can't stop enjoying my fast food." This response made me question the validity of his dissatisfaction. Certainly the cause of his pain came with a pleasure he was unwilling to let go even if it cost him his life. What he didn't know is that it is very possible to enjoy the pleasure of good tasting food without putting his health at risk. Yet is this unknown factor he was unwilling to open his mind to that trapped him with the only option of poisoning himself to death. This one situation caused me to look at many other psychological parallels in our every day life. I once knew a young woman who was with a man who physically abused her regularly. She eventually came to me for help and I accompanied her to the station to file a restraining order since it was inevitable that he would return to her domicile. It was not even a full weak later before new bruises appeared on her face. It became apparent that either she either enjoyed being treated this way or she feared letting go into the unknown. The most obvious examples are the dissatisfied partners who tell everyone they need to separate yet they never take the first step toward independence. After experiencing this pattern in my life and the lives of close associates I sought to understand the unseen force that binds us to our misery yet allows us to recognize our unhappiness. How can one know the problem so well yet feel so powerless to change it? What is it that humanity is holding onto in the empty places of our mind. It dawned on me that the more people express their dissatisfaction the less likely they are to do something about it. The habitual complaint has 3 potential benefits. First they may be venting to release the negative energy and lighten the emotional load so they may continue on hoping the situation resolves itself. Second they sincerely want to make a change and they are talking themselves into it while seeking advice to empower  decision they are too weak to make alone. Third they actually enjoy the feeling of being victimized and the sympathetic ear that comes with it. Self victimization can be a powerful psychological and emotional addiction. I began to notice this on a larger scale with underprivileged and oppressed people. After their oppressor gets up they still feel their weight on them spiritually and have become accustomed to using their weight as an excuse to remain down since it is the easiest option requiring no work on their part. Many become reliant upon their crutches and use them as an excuse to never walk on their own even though it is very possible with a strong will and dedication they could most likely run faster than ever before. True change comes with a subtle and silent motion that others will barely notice until it occurs. You will know when you have had enough misery because there will be nothing to say. Your actions will truly speak for you. Complaints fuel the vehicle of corrective action yet your will will spark the ignition and your focus and perseverance will keep you driven on a higher path.