Entitlement Challenge: America’s wakeup call starts with you
- Mar 14, 2016
- 4 min read
Entitlement is an ugly word and feeling entitled is something people rarely admit to doing…but we all do it. We are a nation of entitled socialists and we don’t even know it,. We know a problem exists but someone else is the problem. Entitlement is not just sitting at home on welfare or expecting a certain job and salary just because you completed school. It’s not just thinking that we all need cell phones and entitlement is not something practiced by only the spoiled rich or apathetic poor we blame most of our economic problems on. On the contrary, entitlement is practiced by each and every one of us each and every day.
When we give our opinion, no matter how thoughtless or reckless that opinion is we expect to still be respected even by those who adamantly disagree with that opinion. When we give our heart to or fall in love we feel entitled to that love in return. We all feel entitled to certain social protocols and once we define how we roll …we then expect everybody around us to roll with it.
Entitlement runs amuck in every facet of working America and at every level. From break times and paid lunch hour to corner offices and promotions entitlement is visible at every level of office politics. We Americans like value and like to value ourselves even more. We demand certain rights and look for perks with our jobs yet we milk the clock, find time for Facebook and use company resources. Those who abuse the clock, personal time and company resources the most feel they deserve it or that they are entitled to their takings. They are often parenting children with serious entitlement issues as well. And of course, they have no idea where these issues came from.
When it comes to matters of the heart we all have entitlement issues. We expect devotion of mind, body and spirit from our lovers but our own eyes and thoughts wonder. Our own fantasy tempts us and sometimes our bodies refuse to resist temptation. Infidelity is entitlement at its best, especially long term affairs kept secret. Taking your temper and frustration out on a partner or lover is also entitlement. A relationship of any kind whether it be friendship, business or romance is a partnership and anyone who feels they deserve an authoritarian roll within that relationship feels entitled. Whether you are a bossy friend, a needy lover or an asshole coworker if you feel the need to dump your frustrations on people in the form of ass chewing and screaming… you are a master of entitlement and most likely very familiar with insecurity as well.
“We get what we give” is fast becoming the world’s most misunderstood cliché. Not only do we incorrectly think we deserve things, emotions and respect that we don’t deserve but we have completely forgotten the part about giving….before we get.
Be the change you want to see in your world. Take a simple little challenge and see how your life changes. Give yourself at least 10 days so you get a couple weekends but try for 30 or even 60 days.
Be better at your job and a better employee instead of expecting more out of your job or boss. Show up a little earlier and leave a little later and even if you are truly unhappy at work…stop telling others about it. Be positive with every interaction and if you are in the customer service industry wipe that attitude off your face and replace it with a smile. Take that chip off your shoulder as well and use your new found energy to always stay busy. And stop reiterating how stressful your household is.
Be a better friend instead of leaning on your friends. Stop wondering why they don’t call or text anymore and give them a call or text. Help them with their projects instead of always roping them into yours. Be a better roommate instead of taking advantage of those you live with. Do chores you don’t usually do. Buy or do something nice for the pad or maybe clean the house for a few weeks. And stop reiterating how stressful work is.
Most importantly, be a better lover instead of wanting or searching for better love. Patience is an asset in the relationship and in the bedroom. Whether you are tired of being single and searching for romance or married for years and searching for romance patience needs to become your most abundant virtue. We all want to find that delicate balance in a lover or mate, that balance between our wants for romance and stimulation and our need for comfort and security. That balance must be found in ourselves before it can be attained with others. Be the satisfying lover before expecting, wanting or demanding to be satisfied. And stop reiterating how stressed you are with the household and work.
So give it a try….for the next couple of weeks or months be the positive ray of light you have been searching for. If you are sincere with your intentions by the end of this journey you will know the following to be absolute truth: If you are the love you will never be lonely…If you are the effort you will never be stranded…if you are the riches you will never be poor …and if you are the light you will never be lost in the dark.
Peace be with you on your journey----Follow the Dart
Comments