Anti-Entitlement: Gratitude & Perspective
We take many things for granted each & every day, and they are often the very things that most deserve our gratitude.
The roof over our heads, the abundance of food, clean water, the internet, and our family & friends. I could go on forever. At some point, we feel we will never be without XYZ which causes entitlement towards those parts of our lives.
Entitlement is described as a feeling people have when they think the whole world owes them something. It’s a result of a lack of perspective and gratitude. Strong feelings of entitlement negatively impact our lives and stop us from being truly happy.
Okay so, entitlement isn’t a good thing, but how do we practice anti-entitlement?
Anti-Entitlement
While you may be the centre of your own universe, you are not the centre of the universe.
“Feelings of entitlement are driven by extreme feelings of deservingness and superiority, which tends to cause disappointment, unmet expectations at psychological and social costs.”
You are not entitled to anything or anyone. Anti-entitlement comes from recognizing that you have to work for things you want, and even after you work for them, you aren’t entitled to receive them. No one owes you anything.
Gain Perspective
The world is so much bigger than you or me. I think I realized that one night while I taking a walk and stopped to peer up at the night sky. I thought about how many people across the world were looking up at the same stars.
See, the universe is more vast than we can conceptualize and we are so incredibly small.
This is where I realized how minuscule my problems were. If we look at the bigger picture, we realize most of these things that stress us out account for absolutely nothing on a grand scale. Apart from that, it emphasizes we aren’t entitled to anything. There’s always going to be someone better off than us. In contrast, there will always be someone who has it much worse.
When we feel entitled to things, I believe it’s imperative to put things into perspective and internalize how lucky we really are. Try going without the internet for 24 hours, or simulate the experience of not having enough access to water. These are just simple exercises, feel free to think about more complex entities you feel you ‘deserve’ and reassess them. Be sure to acknowledge the privileges you have and be grateful for them.
Learn Appreciation
Appreciate what you have before it’s no longer yours to appreciate.
We often have to lose something to release the value of it. Whether it be a person, a moment, or an opportunity. We don’t realize how important things are until we don’t have them anymore. Some would say this is human nature, but appreciation is in our control. It has a lot to do with how we see the world. Is your glass half empty or half full?
If your glass is half full, waking up to see another day is a blessing.
If your glass is half empty, tomorrow morning is just another 24 hours.
The pandemic is a great example. Over the past year, we’ve seen that nothing is truly permanent. After being in lockdown for months- I miss seeing my friends and my grandparents. I miss learning in person with all of my peers and teachers. I miss going to the mall on the weekends and carnival in the summer. I miss the adventures, and the laughter and the fun.
When everything goes back to normal, I know I will never take it for granted again because I realized the value of human connection and the joys of life we experienced before COVID-19.
Stop comparing your life to others
Comparison leads to unrealistic expectations and a sense of entitlement towards what that someone else has. It’s important to be at peace with what you have because it won’t lead to the constant feeling of wanting something more. You’re your own person, and you have your own journey. You pave your own path; the way you think and feel is all in your hands.
Growth is not a linear line. We have our ups and downs in order to reach where we’re supposed to be.- Khartika
Gain perspective. Learn appreciation. Practice gratitude :)
