Anthony J. Mizzi
Sep 8, 2018 · 2 min read

Robert —

When I tell you to stop the whining, I am not telling you to stay silent about the things you don’t like in your life. I’m just telling you to stop whining. We all have things in our lives we regret having done (or not done) but it does no good to whine about them. Think about them, process what they mean, decide how to act because of them, what to avoid, etc. Be proactive, not just reactive!

It’s good that you are going through this process — really — and I will always be here for you, whether it’s in person or on-line. Of the hundreds of students I have taught in my career, you are one of the few I have chosen to remain in contact with and as such, I feel privileged that you think so highly of my opinion.

I make you this promise — I will always tell you what I honestly think. I will speak to you not just as a former student of mine, but like a father to a son; the way I speak to my own son.

That said, I am proud of your decision to take a hard look at your life and make those hard changes.

And as for the whining — you get to do a little bit. The process is hard and messy and it can make you feel ugly and unloved and want to curl up in a ball and cry. But there comes a time when you have to stop crying, whipe away the tears, stand up, stand tall and tell yourself you’re a good, kind person despite all the crappy decisions you’ve made because there is one person who will always have a shoulder you can lean on, have an ear (or two) to listen to you and tell you the truth, even when he says it will be alright — me.

Now, get to work and start cleaning up this mess you call a life!

    Anthony J. Mizzi

    Written by

    Retired NYC high school teacher offering free advice and thoughts on whatever I feel like writing about.