"Two things a man should never be angry at: what he can help, and what he cannot help." — Thomas Fuller
 
I have a problem. I want to share this quote with too many people. I guess I am tired of listening to people complain about things they can change. I’m not sure why people get stuck on getting angry instead of doing something, but they do. I really think some people have made a hobby out of getting angry and complaining.
 
I guess it must be easier to be angry at something than to change it. I can’t help thinking that even though it may be more work; the benefits far exceed any amount of work that goes into changing it. For one, you might end up being happier.
 
I don’t understand how something can bother people enough to upset them and ruin their moods, and still not be motivated to change it. I have a degree in Psychology and I still don’t understand that! Perhaps it explains why there seem to be so many art critics and not enough artists.
 
In writing this I find myself thinking back to something that happened to me decades ago. I realized there was a problem and I jumped in and did what little I could to make the situation better. I didn’t receive any pay, nor did I get a medal or any type of award. I did sleep better that night knowing that I had at least done a little something. Interestingly, one of my friends at the time, laughed at me when I told him about how I participated in the solution of the problem. That was a long time ago and my friend’s reaction still confuses me. I don’t understand how you can mock anyone for pitching in and trying to help. I’m not sure what that says about our society, but I am sure it probably isn’t very good!
 
Of course it is also easy to get upset over things we cannot control. Again, I think we spend too much of our lives being upset over things we cannot change. I would hate to think how many times I’ve seen people get upset about road construction or traffic lights.
 
But I really think those things we cannot change or control are really very few. For example, rather than get upset about road construction slowing you down and making you late, perhaps you could leave earlier or take another route. But you really don’t have to just sit there and get angry about the road construction – or anything else.
 
For what its worth, Thomas Fuller’s message might be easier for us to understand by combining the advertising slogans for garbage bags and tennis shoes.
 
“Don’t get mad, just do it!”