Complaining. It’s something we do every day. Your professor gave you too much homework, there’s too much traffic this morning, the person in front of you isn’t walking fast enough. A lot of us have a habit of jumping straight into the negative of any situation and becoming frustrated.

It’s time to ask ourselves: why do we complain?

So other people can feel sorry for us?

To prove to ourselves that we have it the worst, like life is a big competition to be the most miserable?

It’s time to stop this pointless act.

We complain as if we deserve the absolute best all the time; as if everyone should stop everything and pamper us.

When you complain, you’re making your day worse. That’s what makes bad days seem so grueling. You’re nitpicking all the negative details about your life, giving off the illusion that your life is horrible. You behave like the victim, as if nothing is ever your fault, and the world is out to get you.

The truth is, you’re in charge of your own life. The world doesn’t owe you anything. Life goes on without you—nothing is going to stop for you. If you don’t like something about your life, don’t waste your breath blaming the world--do something about it. You’d be surprised at how easy this can be sometimes.

When you stop criticizing your life and your experiences, you become so much happier.

You have one life and you’re lucky enough to have the ability and privilege to even read this article, so why waste your blessed existence complaining about the known fact that things can’t always go your way?

Life is full of highs and lows, and that’s what makes it so interesting. You need those lows to appreciate the highs, and you need some obstacles to make life worth living. Omitting complaining from your life will make you more productive, more peaceful, and a nicer and better person overall. I challenge you to be conscious of your words and your thoughts, and to give up complaining. Watch how quickly your life begins to change!