Jamy Bechler

Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.

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Aug 29 2022

Telling the Same Joke

“Complaining about a problem without posing a solution is called whining.” (Teddy Roosevelt)

A wise man once faced a group of people who were complaining about the same issues over and over again.

Click here to listen to the 1-minute version of this article.

One day, instead of listening to the complaints, he told them a joke, and everyone cracked up laughing.

Then, the man repeated the joke. A few people laughed and some others smiled.

He then told it a third time and most of the people just politely smiled.

Finally, the man repeated the joke a fourth time–but no one reacted, other than to glare at the man as they shook their heads.

The man smiled and said, “You won’t laugh at the same joke more than once. So, what are you getting from continuing to complain about the same problem over and over again?”

You see, some of us just like to complain but not do anything about a problem.

Today, we have a choice.

We can be part of the problem or part of the solution.

We’re not going to get anywhere if we keep complaining about the same problem but do nothing to fix it. We don’t need to waste our time complaining.

Instead, we must take action to make a change.

Today we can be the change we want to see in the world.

 
Jamy Bechler is the author of four books including The Captain and The Bus Trip, host of the Success is a Choice Podcast, professional speaker, and trains organizations on creating championship cultures. He previously spent 20 years as a college basketball coach and administrator.  The Leadership Playbook is Bechler’s online program that helps athletes become better teammates and more positive leaders while strengthening a team’s culture. As a certified John Maxwell leadership coach, Bechler has worked with businesses and teams, including the NBA. Follow him on Twitter at @CoachBechler. To connect with him via email or find out about his services, please contact speaking@CoachBechler.com. You can also subscribe to his insights on success and leadership by clicking here.

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Written by Jamy Bechler · Categorized: Leadership, Personal Growth, Podcast Episodes · Tagged: Attitude, complaining, Gandhi, Insights, Jokes, Motivational Minute, Moving Forward, Positive leadership, Problem Solving, solutions, Teddy Roosevelt, Wisdom

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