Quit Your Whining
I’m currently sitting in the lobby of my hotel in California. It’s 5:30 AM here, but my body and mind is still on East Coast time. I’m a morning person even by east coast standards, so that means I’ve been up since 2 AM. No worries though. There’s finally coffee in the lobby so I am now relaxed and a lovely person (which is different from the monster I was just a few minutes ago).
I woke up with a clear thought this morning. This happens sometimes. I think it happens when I just let my brain work while I’m sleeping and when I first wake up, I’m finally quiet enough to listen. My thought was this, “Quit your whining, and get to work.”
This is a picture of my inner voice. Yes. My inner voice is a dog wearing a cute hat and headphones. It makes my inner voice’s truths more palatable.
Ha! Nothing like your inner voice being a hard ass, but that voice is right. I have been whining a lot lately.
Mostly I’ve been whining a lot about work and writing. What’s my future with narration? Will I keep getting gigs? Is my memoir going to get picked up by a publisher? Why isn’t this thriller I’m working on working? The questions aren’t unusual for me. My brain is constantly questioning, but I’ve had a pissy attitude lately and that is new for me.
I blame the weather. We’ve had a lot of grey days in Michigan, a lot of rain and the kind of wet cold that just seeps into your bones, into your spirit. It’s just been too wet and cold to walk, and I’m noticing the lack of that routine. My friend and I usually walk a few times a week for over an hour and those walks do tremendous things for my spirit.
And, also, those walks do tremendous things for my waistline.
Before packing for my little weekend trip to California, I noticed that my clothes were a little snug, my face a little puffier. I’ve been more on edge. Grumpier. And, oh, the whining!
But after two days in California, a few long walks with my hunky lumberjack, and some sunshine and drinks, and suddenly it’s all clear to me: I’ve been whining a whole lot and I need to knock it off.
Sometimes, talking about issues is helpful, but there comes a point when you cross over from talking and you wade waist deep into wallowing. And it’s the wallowing I need to stop.
I have so much to be grateful for. I think, though, it might be easier for me to be miserable than it is to be happy. I know how to Misery. I don’t know how to Happy. At least not long term. But I want to know. I really do. That means I need to learn.
So I’m sitting in this hotel lobby and I’m realizing that there are still things I need to work on. The first thing is to stop thinking so much and start doing. If I can’t walk outside, then I need to walk on my treadmill or join a class. If I don’t know what my work future is, then I need to start building a backup plan, and also make sure I’m competitive in my work. I need to make sure I’m giving my best to the job. I can whine all I want about this thriller not working, but it’s never going to work unless I make it work. So that means, I need to devote an hour a day to writing. Without fail. Because things don’t get written…unless you do the writing.
From my walk yesterday
That’s all. It’s simple when I sit back and think about it. I’ve just got to get doing and stop with the complaining.
I can’t be alone in this. Are there things that you’re pissy about, but maybe you could tackle if you just…well…started? Are there little changes you can make to get out of the winter funk? And if you have suggestions, I’d love to hear them. Surely, I can’t be the only one who’s annoying themselves by pouting all the time, right?
I woke up this morning with a new awareness. And then I wrote. I did the thing. It felt really good. And I’m going to go explore San Diego today and get some good walking in. Get my body moving. Tire out those muscles and trigger the waistline to pull back a little.
We’ll fly home tomorrow and I’m hoping a little of this go-get-em attitude comes with me. I think it will.
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ABOUT TANYA EBY
Tanya is a writer and narrator and lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She’s got two kids, two dogs, an awesome partner, good friends, and she’s an expert napper. The sun makes her squinty, but she’s learning to accept that. Follow her on Instagram at tanya_eby and on Twitter @Blunder_Woman.