The Epidemic of "Stuckness"

Most everyone I encounter expresses some measure of discontent in their lives, jobs, employers, or careers. In itself, that's no big deal. Life isn't perfect and people aren't perfect. Venting to friends and family can be therapeutic. What is a big deal is the sad fact that way too many people remain in this state of "stuckness" and discontent.  

During the summers when I was a kid in high school, I worked in a Lawrence, MA textile mill. It was steady but hot and dirty work.  Ed, a foreman at the mill, was famous for his daily rants about how much he hated his job. Every Friday Ed swore that he was not returning on Monday. The first time I heard this, I felt sad. He seemed like a nice person and losing him would hurt the mill. When I expressed my concern in the lunchroom, one day, everyone laughed. I discovered that Ed had been threatening to quit for the past 30 years. No one ever took him seriously. Moreover, his incessant complaining had been a source of irritation for the mill's owner. Old Ed was stuck and unwise!

Know anyone like Ed? I bet you do! They unhappily live in a rut with imaginary steep walls. They drive their friends and loved ones crazy with their constant grumbling and frowns. Climbing out of their rut to enjoy a brighter future, while highly desired, seems too difficult to attain. It would, after all, require effort, change, & commitment.  Whoa! That's three (count 'em) unsettling concepts!

The power of positive change cannot be overestimated.  Ordinary people achieve positive & dramatic changes all of the time.  Why can't the Ed's of the world do the same?  "Stuckness" is a choice!