"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness" is a Chinese proverb that highlights, that it’s better to do something about a problem than only complain about it.
Everyday life presents us with challenges and it’s entirely up to us what we do about them.
In the face of life’s challenges, we can respond in two different ways.
1) COMPLAINING
The first, which is the most widespread, consists in complaining and ultimately resigning oneself to unsatisfactory circumstances.
So many people are unhappy with their jobs, relationships, and their lives, yet, the only thing they do is feel sorry for themselves, whining and remaining still.
They never try to do anything different from what they have been doing.
The fear of facing the unknown is greater than the constant discomfort of experiencing the difficult situation itself.
So, they tend to point their fingers at something or someone else; they look anywhere but in the mirror.
Before long, they find themselves down the rabbit hole of mediocrity and misery.
As a matter of fact, complaining without action is the greatest comfort zone and cage we can ever create for ourselves.
Whether it's money, your appearance, or your relationships, complaining becomes a constant.
But, what's the point of complaining?
Complaining only increases our sense of dissatisfaction and frustration.
Do you really think you can change your mood and situation by continually focusing on what is not working in your life and whining about it?
If you think so, good luck!
2) SEEKING A SOLUTION & TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
The second way through which we can respond to life’s circumstances is by focusing on what can be done to start a transitional process to get out of a rut.
What do I mean by transitional process?
Anything that’s worthy in this world requires time, hence, thinking to change your current situation overnight would be naive, to say the least. That’s why it is a transitional process!
“You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight”. - Jim Rohn
By assessing whatever situation you are experiencing you can ask yourself, “What can I do today to start changing for the better? What would my life be like if I started taking responsibility for my life today without complaining any longer?
Why should you waste your life in anguish, complaining instead of living it to the best of your ability by becoming responsible for your actions?
When you take full responsibility for the good, the bad, and every aspect of your life you switch from taking on the role of a victim - i.e. living life in the passenger seat - to taking on the role of the driver.
“You want to be in the driver’s seat of your own life because if you are not, life will drive you”. - Oprah Winfrey
Remember: the only way to ensure defeat is to divert responsibility to the outside world. Likewise, the only way to remain powerless is to feel bad for yourself and angry about what you are experiencing.
DARKNESS DOESN’T EXIST IN ITSELF - IT’S A LACK OF LIGHT
What happens if you light a candle in a dark room?
Darkness disappears!
So, you don't have to sit in a corner and feel sorry for yourself, nor should you try to chase the darkness out of the room because it's impossible.
The only sensible and constructive way is to turn on a light, so darkness vanishes.
So in everyday life, instead of cursing the dark, turn a candle on.
Focus on what you can do today that is useful and constructive. Keep a proactive approach without letting discouragement and negative feelings prevail.
By doing so, darkness will soon disappear.
IF DARKNESS FOR YOU EQUALS YOUR JOB…
You are not alone, 85% of people worldwide are disengaged from their work.
But, most of them only curse their jobs day in, and day out, instead of finding a solution.
I used to do the same!
I was unhappy and unfulfilled to be at work for most of my waking hours, not having time to devote to what is important to me.
I didn’t jump out of bed in the morning excited for the day ahead; I was “living” for the weekend.
Then, one day, I decided to light a candle and focus on what I could do to pave the way to get out of my job and have the freedom I was looking for.
That’s how I started my journey online, and that’s why I started an online business.
In fact, it is my transitional plan to move from working in a traditional job for somebody else to working online for myself.
Even if I haven’t quit my job yet, the transformation I have had since I started investing in myself and joined the community I am part of is something I’ve never experienced before.
I no longer need to be dragged out of my bed in the morning.
I am so excited to work on my personal development and on my own business that when the alarm clock goes off it is a joy for me.
But, don’t fool yourself by thinking that starting an online business is a walk in the park because it’s not.
As a matter of fact, it is a bigger commitment than a lot of people think.
It’s not as simple as clicking a few buttons and watching the money fly out from your laptop screen.
It takes dedication to build a business, make money online and work from home or everywhere in the world.
Think of it as going to the gym.
If a person was ready to quit when they don’t see six-pack abs within 30 days, what’s the chance they can succeed in the long term? Pretty much zero, right?
The same holds true with starting and building a profitable online business.
If you think you’ll give up and quit if you don’t make money in 30 days, then I would advise you not to even bother to start.
It’s way easier to keep complaining and not do anything about it, but where will you end up?
“Anything worth doing in this world is incredibly difficult to do”. - Jon Foreman
FINAL THOUGHTS
You have a choice to make then.
Lighting a candle, or cursing the darkness you are in and blaming others for not lighting a candle for you.
But here’s the thing – if all you do is curse the darkness, you’ll end up living in it for the rest of your life.
We don’t choose when and how dark our life gets, but we can choose how to handle the darkness in it.
What are you going to do?
More resources for YOU:
I can’t even see the darkness so how would I complain about it?
I love the title. I have never heard it before but now it’s one of my favourite 🙂
You cannot see the darkness because you have lighted many candles Mikolaj 😉