I Complain Too Much

This might come off as a humble brag, but that is not my intention. Honest.

Something that has always bugged me is when people who clearly come from a position of great privilege and good fortune complain about how crappy their lives are. A recent example would be the Minecraft guy saying how he’s so sad and isolated, even though he has a couple billion dollars to go along with his multi-million dollar mansion.

Or the Vancouver couple pulling in nearly $450,000 a year on part-time hours who are sad they can’t afford their dream home after putting their five kids through private school and paying for a live-in nanny. Woe is me. Cry me a river.

And then, I realize that I am one big fat hypocrite. I complain, albeit not always quite so publicly, all the time. Maybe it’s the Canadian in me. (Sorry about that.)

I complain about how I don’t think I’m earning as much money as I think I am capable of earning, but this freelance life has been able to provide me with a reasonably comfortable living doing something that I largely love doing. We own our own home (with a mortgage) in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the world. We never really struggle to pay the bills. And we can afford to indulge in a nice meal now and then.

I complain about how I may have missed out on some life experiences, but I’ve had the opportunity to travel the world, get a higher education, and make a few friends along the way.

And I complain about never having enough time to do the things that I want to do, but I have the treasured privilege of being able to spend as much time as I do with my infant (almost toddler!) daughter. That’s invaluable and I wouldn’t trade that time for anything in the world. Being able to go shopping in the middle of a weekday afternoon isn’t so bad either.

I really need to stop complaining about other people complaining too. Live and let live, right?

Do I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place sometimes? Of course. Do I feel like there are areas of my life that could be improved? Sure. But as much as I complain, I need to remind myself to be grateful for the life that I have. It’s really not that bad. And I bet yours isn’t so shabby either.