"Of one thing I am sure. Complaining is self-perpetuating and counterproductive. Whenever I express my complaints in the hope of evoking pity and receiving the satisfaction I so much desire, the result is always the opposite of what I tried to get. A complainer is hard to live with, and very few people know how to respond to the complaints made by a self-rejecting person. The tragedy is that, often, the complaint, once expressed, leads to that which is most feared: further rejection. . . . Joy and resentment cannot coexist." (Henri Nouwen)

How often we fall into the trap of complaining about different things or different people. It neither builds them or us up. No one enjoys being around a complainer. Instead of complaining, which no one wants to hear, it would be better for us to find something positive and upbuilding to say or to say nothing. For some of us this will be initially difficult, because of our previous negative habit. But in time our outlook will change and so will the response of others to us. The principle we are to follow is: Do nothing to sadden the Holy Spirit.