A SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT
This is something that seems to have increased markedly in our society over the past few years.
A Sense of Entitlement may mean someone pushing into the front of the queue, or demanding they be attended to before anyone else or feeling they are deserving of special treatment. It is very much an “I am privileged and I have the right….” mentality.
Whether it comes from upbringing (being indulged or spoiled, or possibly denied things in the past) or expectations that have not been met, or problems with authority figures, or cultural factors, or the influence of social media; it seems there is no definitive answer as to why this behaviour has become more prevalent.
The other factor here is that we live in a society that has taught us to blame others for where we are – it’s everyone else’s fault; if only this or that happened, etc. Very easily this can lead to a “victim” mentality.
We know that most of life is about choice. We are all where we are because of the choices we have made. Having said that, we also know that there are some things that happen in our lives – things or events over which we have no control. For the most part, life is about the decisions we have made and the paths we have chosen to take.
Being a victim is a choice as well. Perhaps we get attention by being a victim, we attract like-minded people who will give us all the sympathy we are looking for: “oh how awful, you poor thing, tell me more”. Sadly, being a victim robs us of our true self, but being a victim is a choice we have made.
The main message here is Taking Responsibility For Ourselves and accepting that where we are in our lives right now, is the result of everything we have thought and said and acted upon. And it’s a big one to take on board for anyone who blames others, or has taken on the victim role, or feels they are privileged and entitled.
Effectively, we create our own reality. Our minds are that powerful.
Those of you who have done The Centre Within with me will recall that I play the theme from “Time” the musical (which I saw in London in 1986) featuring the voice of Laurence Olivier.
Part of that 4 minute excerpt includes these words: “Your life is an expression of your mind. You are the creator of your own Universe….. for the quality of your life is brought about by the quality of your thinking.”
(If you would like to listen to the whole 4 minutes click the link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukSZggRMCHM)
Creating our own reality means we are responsible for where we are, given the decisions and choices we have made throughout our life so far.
Those who have chosen to be victims, or who blame others and events, or who feel they are entitled, can change. First, they have to want to change. We cannot change other people; they will only change if they wish to.
I love things that work. Here are some helpful strategies:
- Number One (always) is Gratitude. Appreciating what we have and being thankful for all the positives in our life, including an appreciation of what has been done for us and the people and events that have helped us get this far.
- Treating others as we would like to be treated. We are all human beings. We all deserve kindness, consideration and respect.
- Recognising that not all situations are ‘unfair’. Again, it’s easy to blame someone or something that has happened for where we are….but it doesn’t work. We haven’t achieved the result we wanted, so what can we do that is positive to get what we want?
- The great way we learn is through our mistakes. Failure can be our greatest tool. It is there for the learning; we wouldn’t want to miss the lesson.
All of these – the entitlement mentality, being a victim and blaming others – are potentially self-perpetuating cycles if we let them continue. It is very easy to take any of these on board…but none of them gets us to where we want to go!
You probably knew all of this; sometimes we need reminding.
You’ll note I have included two ‘quote boxes’ this month. I have long been an admirer of Wayne Dyer’s books and quotes. I’m not sure where the ‘blank pad’ came from, but isn’t it true?
Love and Laughter for a happy month ahead.
