Quit Your Complaining A Complaint Is Only a First Step BY DAN SAYERS T o complain is always nona c c e p - tance of charge. When you complain, you make yourself into a victim. When you speak out, you are in your pow- er. So change the situ- ation by taking action or by speaking out if necessary or possible; leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness.” Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. what is. It invariably carries an uncon- scious negative
to be. Anyone can do that. What’s essential to turning things around is a willingness to consider alternatives, offer sug- gestions and put in the hard work to bring about a desirable outcome. The Founding Fathers, it should be remembered, risked everything to secure certain unalienable rights for all Americans. Today, many people seem to lament a past that no longer exists. This is true among some members of the fancy who complain that the glory days of dog shows are long gone and that its future is uncertain at best. “The end is near,” they cry as they make yet more entries for Palm Springs, Brooksville, Westminster, Woodstock, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Orlan- do or any number of all-breed and limited breed shows that have experienced a rise in entries in recent years. They whine about the lack of majors as they drive across seven states with four dogs to attend a regional specialty. Too many exhibi- tors condemn the professionals for showing up ringside with dogs that are clean, trained and ready to be examined. (Not to mention relieved of this morning’s breakfast. Clean-up in Ring Three!) And when professionals and amateurs walk out of the ring empty-handed, some sore losers bellyache about “politics” and “paybacks” without any regard for the merits of “AS AMERICANS, WE FEEL ESPECIALLY JUSTIFIED IN OUR COMPLAINING.”
Everyone complains about something. Single people com- plain about being single, married people complain about being married, and everybody complains about the weath- er—and dog shows. When it comes to the five-day forecast and last week’s show cluster, few people have a neutral opin- ion. In fact, most folks are only too happy to voice their con- cerns about the current temperature or a judge’s ring proce- dure. Their objections are freely spoken ringside and shared with ease online. However, no matter how justified, these complaints are only a first step for anyone who wants to make a difference in their day or in the dog sport. As Americans, we feel especially justified in our complain- ing. You might even say it’s a national pastime that goes back to the founding of our nation. When the Declaration of Inde- pendence was signed on July 4, 1776, the distinguished sign- ers were essentially exclaiming, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” From that day forward, we’ve been encouraged to voice our discontent for the way things are. But with this privilege to speak freely comes a responsibility to take our negative opinions and turn them into a call for action that’s positive, even hopeful. After all, complaining is just a way of saying that we want things to be better. But it’s simply not enough to state how awful things are—or seem
S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , A UGUST 2018 • 69
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