Found a lot of diamonds

 I find it ~~interesting~~ pathetic to hear people complaining about *what they do not have* instead of focusing on the thoughts, attitudes and actions that will get them those things. Of course, everyone does "life" their own way and that's acceptable however I do not believe that the short span of human life leaves much time to mess around on negative and unproductive thoughts and actions. *** *** I was recently at an industry thing where a collective group of people who operate in, or on the periphery of, my sector gathered to discover changes to legislation that will extend our reach and limit it in some aspects as well; changes that need to be strictly adhered to considering the nature of what we do. It was an excellent two-day seminar and I caught up with others I know well and met some new folks whose company I enjoyed. At one of the breaks I was talking to a chap who is excellent at what he does and is someone I value and we were joined by a fellow I didn't know until the day prior; we chatted about the industry, state of affairs around the globe and other work-related things until we drifted on to personal matters, our respective lives. I'll not go into it but the second guy, the one I didn't know well, was annoying as hell and I could almost feel the negativity weighing on me minute by minute the more he talked. For a smart chap (he's super smart at his job) he was a dumb fuck; his thoughts and subsequent behaviours were incredibly limiting factors on his life and the more we talked the more my mate and I exchanged *we have to get the fuck out of this situation looks* shuffling around and trying to extricate ourselves from the shit-show in a way that didn't seem rude. > I've not lived my life perfectly - no one has, and if they indicate otherwise they're lying or delusional - and I've made mistakes. I've been in tough situations and failed, sought to win but lost, been the best version of myself and the worst...the dichotomy of life right? Along the way the wins and losses - and more importantly the *effort and focus I've put in* - have always worked to my benefit, yep even when I failed miserably. Having focus applies pressure (good pressure), as does failure, and pressure creates diamonds. Now, I'm not that into diamonds it's just a metaphor for the great value or benefit that comes from tough situations and failure that I'm choosing to use. Focus and effort in the right areas, at the right time and in the right amount will always trump focusing on the wrong aspects like the fellow above. I'm not saying a measure of success can't be found by those who consistently complain about what they don't have just that greater success is possible if energy is exerted and deployed correctly. *** My friend and I were saved by the seminar reconvening and escaped the unfortunate chap who is certainly not living his best life; I feel a little sorry for him but also because I am a man of ownership and discipline feel strongly that we're each responsible for ourselves, especially people who hold positions like us and that chap...negativity isn't something that works at all well. What pressures have you faced that caused diamonds to form in your life? Feel free to choose one that you'd say stands out in your life as one of the most valuable and tell me about it or maybe you'd like to tell me why you whine and complain about what you don't have rather than focusing on what you want to attain.