As most people go throughout a day, they hardly ever stop and realize all of the good things that they have. Often times, they actually do the opposite. Most people complain more than they admire.

For example, if you walk around the halls at Notre Dame Academy, and you stop to listen to the conversations that are going on all around you, most of what you hear will be people complaining about how long their previous class was, how hungry they are and how much homework they have already received that day.

Very seldom will you hear someone stop and say how grateful they are to have the opportunity to go to school, or how happy they are that they have food to eat. Even the fact that they have a home and a warm bed to sleep in is not often realized.

“There are two main reasons for complaining, fear and habit,” states Dan Harfield of the University of North Carolina.

Similarly Robin Kowalski, Ph.D., says “We use complaints as icebreakers.” Perhaps, complaining is not all bad. We use complaints to connect us with other people, who have similar thoughts about normal activities in daily life.

How many times a day do you hear or say, “I’m so tired?” It is definitely one of the most common complaints in a school. When you say this it could start a conversation with someone that you would not usually talk to, and therefore you are just making small talk to comply to social standards.

However, I think that we take it too far. By opening and relating to others with complaints, we lose the the skill to positively interact with our peers. If we tried complaining less, and praising more, I think that we would build a more positive atmosphere at Notre Dame Academy.

The organization, “A Complaint Free World,” encourages people to, instead of complaining about how things are, make changes and speak about what they desire things to be. It is a campaign to promote positive communication, and I believe that it sets a good example for everyone.

Trying to be positive and uplifting, rather than negative and unproductive, can make NDA a happier, more pleasant place to be. Next time you are about to try and begin a conversation, try and think of something more positive to say. It might impact you, and whoever you are talking to, more than you know.