Say and do something positive that will help the situation; it

Hear, O seekers of wisdom, the words of Robert A. Cook, who declared: “Say and do something positive that will help the situation; it doesn’t take any brains to complain.” In this truth lies both rebuke and encouragement. For it is easy to raise one’s voice in criticism, to lament what is broken, to curse the darkness. But the path of the wise, the path of the strong, is not complaint but action—an act of light, however small, that changes the course of events.

The meaning of this saying is a call to responsibility. To complain is to waste breath, to magnify the problem without offering a solution. Anyone can do this; it requires no courage, no discipline, no wisdom. But to say something that uplifts, to do something that strengthens, is to contribute to healing rather than harm. Cook reminds us that in every situation we have a choice: to deepen the wound with negativity, or to bind it with the balm of positivity and action.

The origin of such wisdom lies in the traditions of leadership and faith, from which Cook himself drew. For throughout the ages, prophets, teachers, and leaders have warned against idle grumbling. The Scriptures tell of Israel wandering in the desert, where constant complaint bred despair rather than hope. The philosophers of Greece likewise declared that virtue lies in constructive deeds, not destructive words. Cook’s voice joins this ancient chorus, urging us to build rather than tear down.

Consider the life of Theodore Roosevelt, who faced the tragedy of losing both his wife and his mother on the same day. He could have sunk into endless complaint, railing against fate. Instead, he resolved to act, traveling to the Dakotas, rebuilding his strength, and later rising to become a president whose motto was, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” His greatness came not from lamenting his pain, but from acting positively in spite of it.

Reflect also on Florence Nightingale, who entered the Crimean War’s field hospitals and found filth, misery, and death. Others complained of the conditions, blaming fate, blaming governments, blaming incompetence. But she did not waste her strength in complaint. Instead, she acted: cleaning, organizing, and healing. Her work reduced mortality, inspired reform, and gave birth to modern nursing. She proved that positive action, however small at first, is more powerful than the loudest cry of despair.

O children of tomorrow, learn this: to complain is to surrender power, to declare yourself helpless before the storm. But to say and do something positive is to reclaim power, to become a participant in change rather than a spectator of decline. The world is filled with those who grumble; it longs for those who act. Be among the latter, and your life will carry the fragrance of strength and usefulness.

Practical wisdom calls you: when faced with difficulty, pause before you complain. Ask instead, “What can I say that will encourage? What can I do that will help?” If nothing grand is possible, then do something small: offer a kind word, lend a hand, bring order to chaos. These acts, multiplied day by day, are the bricks from which progress is built.

Therefore, remember Cook’s teaching: “It doesn’t take any brains to complain.” Do not waste your breath on what anyone can do. Rise higher. Be the one who speaks hope, who brings solutions, who acts with courage. For in the end, it is not the complainers who shape the world, but the builders—the men and women who chose to say and do something positive, until their lives themselves became a blessing to all who encountered them.

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