Entitlement
I am really bugged by those who feel they are entitled. Entitled to receiving whatever it is they desire. Entitled to a free ride. Entitled to everyone else around them making them happy. Have you ever noticed that the people happiest in life are NOT the people who have everything they want? No, the ones who are truly happy are those who are happy with what they have. Not the ones who feel they got the short end of the stick because someone else shorted them. Not the ones who fault other people for their own shortcomings.
This is life, people. You have control over one person in this world, and that is YOU. If you are looking to others for your emotions, your path, your future...you might find something occasionally, but you are most certain to find a bunch of disappointment. You need to take control over your own life and set your own destiny. The people around you do not exist for your every whim.
That's not to say that you should be oblivious to the people around you by any means. We all have boundaries, and there are rules. When you are a kid, you have most importantly, your parents or guardians. As you get older, you realize there are boundaries all around. You meet people along the way that may help you on your journey, and there are those who are probably not the best personalities to be around. But who is it there with you at all times? You. You ultimately make the choices that affect your life. (I realize I could get into an entire tangent on religion right here, but I'll save that one for another day.) You are the one responsible; the one accountable.
If there are obstacles to overcome, then take action and overcome them. If there is something that you want (within reason, of course), then take steps to achieve that goal. If there is something making you completely miserable in your life, then make a plan to change it. The absolute worst thing you can do is blame it on someone or something else. If you sit around and wait for someone else to fix it, it will never happen. If your game is to blame everyone or everything else, then nothing is going to change for you, my friend. Check back with me 1, 5, even 10 years from now and I'll bet that you are still crying the same tears.
My first harsh encounter with this sort of entitlement attitude was while away at college. I was working full time between multiple jobs in addition to taking out the full amount of student loans available just to make ends meet. College wasn't all fun and games for me by any means. However, the particular college I went to, it was exactly that for many students. That's not to belittle the school; I could have gone elsewhere and I'm sure I would have been in a different crowd. But I will never forget how badly it hurt when I'd hear certain girls in the dorm hallway bragging to each other on how 'upset' their parents would be when they saw their phone bill that month. Or when they'd giggle about what part of Mexico they would visit for spring break. Or how their parents would have to send them more money. When I would hear such comments, it took all my self control to not go over and knock them in the head. I would be in tears of fatigue some days just from the sheer pressure of too much work, not enough sleep. (an aside: this is not to say anything against my family. They were helping in any way they could, they just had circumstances of their own at the time.) It would just drive me batty in college that these people had no clue whatsoever how good they had it. To them, it was mom and dad's responsibility, their obligation for pete's sakes, to send them off to college and pay their way, and they weren't the slighest bit appreciative or humbled by their good fortune. And I still see this attitude today in adults! People that are plenty old enough and should know better by now.
And now, I have four children of my own. Like most parents, I do not want my kids to endure all of the hardships that I did. However, I also do not want them to become "entitled brats." My husband and I will try our best to find a way and instill this into them. Teach them the value of everything in life, from the material things all the way to the simplest emotional ones. Just another one on the long list of parental responsibilities I'll try to achieve.
Personally, I think this entitled attitude is a real shame. Let's all try to be a little more accountable for our own actions. A little more humble for our good fortunes. A little less "what are you going to do for me next?" Take responsibility and most of all, take notice of your own actions. The world does not owe you...and if it does, it's not much more than a smack of reality upside your very entitled head.
Now go listen to this song and let it soak in.
