Have you ever wondered why we complain and why we see people posting about it online? Here I will share with you what I found out and what you can do to change into a better person.
You see, I too find myself complaining a lot more than usual these past two months. It took me two weeks, since I started writing this, to figure out why. It's because the stress level at work finally got high even with the lax schedule. At first I thought it was because (1) this isn't a job that I studied for. Or maybe (2) I was complaining on here because I was getting over someone I call Babs. Turns out it's just stress as high as my most stressful account (job) in the BPO industry. 
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No wonder I wanted to break stuff a lot the past month. Unfortunately I couldn't do it even if I wanted to, so all I did was complain and curse. Oh what a sailor mouth I have now. Again. Cursing ain't complaining though right? Haha.
Anyway, the only difference of this work stress from then is the end result. I'm working now for commissions and providing shelter/investment assistance to clients while back then I was working to help satisfy disgruntled and unhappy customers.
Oh I can definitely say this stress is way better compared to my previous job in 2013. Then again some things, like being a great seller, just come naturally and easily to some people. Selling something is a piece of cake if it's affordable and very much needed by many. However even if big sales is supposedly the same thing as the small sales I am used to doing, there's still a big difference - the stakes in selling big are way higher than I expected.
What do I mean? Well the pressure to meet the quota finally hit me last month and it made the complaints and curses leak out of my mouth... and fingers. But hey don't worry too much because it's not only me who's experiencing this pressure. I'm just not used to this yet, perhaps, that's why I can't help but complain online and now make a blog out of it.
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Why Do We Complain?
Discontent. Pain. Bitterness.
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Whoever said a sales job or any job is easy is kidding you. Anything new that we do is not easy, just like learning how to bike. Nothing is easy unless you are an expert at it and you're already used to doing it. There is no easy job or task. Everything is hard at first. Everything is confusing and draining and heartbreaking in the beginning. Everything is challenging but hey life goes on.
In this sales career I have learned a few more life lessons. I have learned to commit to this job 100% in order to reach success. I will succeed or by golly I will never get over and done with this. I will not quit until I succeed in this field, much like I did in the BPO or call center industry. I failed a lot of times before I got into the BPO world and became an expert at the job that I then became bored with it. There was no more challenge and so I decided to leave and change my career path again.
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In comparison, BPO is fast paced and impersonally dealing with clients/people through the phone, Real Estate is slow paced but personally dealing with people, face to face AND over the phone. Each has it's own pros and cons that the introvert in me wants to run away from this new career. The extrovert in me though wants to get out and talk to more people and succeed in this field. Whew. Ambiverts ftw!
(Photo credit: DUM via Pinterest.com)
Even though it's hard at the beginning, I still persevere. Every now and then I get reminded on why I should not give up on this new career. I did try this job back in 2014 to no success, and no I did not get into this to fail yet again. Suffice it to say, I might be (1) driven by my ego to succeed where I failed before and learn the things I need to learn in order to finally pursue a successful art career. Also (2) I need to live on my own again and thus have to increase my fund source.
Yes my final destination is going to be art related, there is no doubt in my mind. I know there are challenges in being successful in any art career but I will cross the bridge when I get there. For now I'm forging my way to get to the middle of this sales career bridge I'm on.
Hey wait, this is turning into a Dear Diary blog so let me go back to my topic.
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You ever thought "Why me?" like you're a victim of something? Well let me tell you something that happened a week or so ago.
I was looking for a bank branch after work and asked a traffic enforcer for directions. He told me where to go, just two blocks from where we were and I couldn't help but say that it's far. His response was: Think that my two-block-away destination is just near, so I won't feel like it's far, even if we're under the hot afternoon sun.
Never did I think I'd hear that from a person like him. I laughed at the positivity of his suggestion. It was like he was pulling the wool over my eyes but he made some sense. Who am I to complain it's far and hot when he is standing almost the whole day under the hot sun?
Somehow, that reminds me now of this popular commercial from several years ago where a kid says: "Isipin mo na lang, ham yan." (Think that it's ham instead.) To which the other kid says, "Ham nga!" (It's ham indeed!)
(Video credit: Ladies Choice Philippines via YouTube.com)
If you think it's hard, it will be harder. If you think it's easy, it will be easier. Sometimes you just have to fool your own brain to be able to make it to where you should go or to do what you should do. Even if it is really hard, you need to try and think positive because in the end, once it's all over you'll realize, every little thing is indeed going to be all right. (Just like in a certain reggae song called Three Little Birds.)
We all know, unexpected things always happen to people, and how we react to each situation determines how our life will turn out. Even if we plan something, it can never go exactly as planned; so when something happens let's choose to react positively even if our first instinct is to be negative about it.
How to Stop Complaining & Be a Better Person
About seven years ago, I got ahold of a book from Book Sale that changed my life somehow. It's called A Complaint Free World written by Will Bowen. Want to know more about him and his book? Watch this video.
(Video credit: Will Bowen via YouTube.com)
Upon looking for and finding the book again, it looks like I haven't finished reading it yet. No wonder this bad habit of complaining is back. Lol. It still has the bookmark right where I left it - at 3/4 of the book. Guess I should finish reading it or start all over. This is going to take me (and you too?) several months before I get to be complaint free again.
If I'm going to rate the book, I'll give it 5/5 stars! It's definitely worth the read and gives practical and helpful tips on what to do in certain situations.
Photo credit: ArtGirl
Over the years, no wonder whenever my brother complains to me or says something that sounds like a complaint, I always tell him, "Well then maybe you should do this or that," which always irks him. I probably should have asked him what can he or should he do about it instead. Haha~ if he was looking for sympathy well hey I can help you by letting you know how to solve your issue. I did work for customer service like he did. He even has more experience there than me and yet~! Ah well.
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Apparently that's because he does not understand why I am the way I am after I've read the book and worked in a certain BPO account. He just wants to complain and have someone hear about it instead of doing something about it to resolve his issue. And hey look, it looks like I've finally started doing it recently too since I've been living under the same roof with him for about... three years now! Good God. Help me get out of the house puhleez. I'd rather ask for help and do something about my life than keep complaining. Lol.
Do you know, even my manager is a complainer that I had to tell him one time to inform the person he is complaining about directly instead of calling me up to tell me about it. Dear God. He had to repeat it over and over again. I think I only told him twice to talk to her about it instead. I don't think he did or will do it though. Who knew such negativity can still creep in to my personality unnoticed just by being exposed to it at work and at home! Whew.
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So anyway for all you folks who are reading this, let's prepare ourselves to do the 21 Day Complaint Free challenge by following the 5 steps in the video above. Lol. Imma try my best to read the book again too.
I hope you learned something new from me today. Have a nice day! :)
© Art x Stephanie Rue
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