Confusing rights and privileges are one of the time-wasting actions we seem to be guilty of. Allow me to define the keywords.
Rights are what you deserve and should own or be granted as an individual. Rights must not be denied as their denial is a punishable offence.
Privileges are benefits in form of entitlement that you have the right to enjoy. A privilege can be given or taken away.
In some circumstances, a right can be a privilege, but a privilege is never a right. Never.
Confusing rights with privileges can lead to feelings like resentment, bitterness, narcissism, and even entitlement.
Entitled people spend a reasonable amount of their time thinking they are the only victim of adversities; they feel the world owes them a lot just because of who they are and what they've gone through. The thing is, it doesn't work that way all the time.
PC: Fransching.com
Entitlement is when you feel you should be paid back in the same worth of goodness you've rendered to someone. I'd be quoting Nelson Henderson who said, The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
You've been good to someone in the past doesn't mean they would always reciprocate. It's a vicious truth you have to admit.
You take control of your life when you stop being entitled and take every additional gratitude as a privilege. If it comes, good. If it doesn’t (painful, yes.), but well…
Based on a recent study, it was deduced that:
Attempts to convince people to reciprocate your goodwill is draining. Most times, it's not necessary. It's a form of entitlement that would always impair the goodness in you which might destruct your benevolence. That's bad huh...
"Do what you do not for praises or applause, but because it is what is right.”
• Stop blaming people for how you feel. They might have wronged you, but do not make them control how you feel. You know, it's not worth it when you are mad at someone who doesn't know why. Someone who doesn't and wouldn't care when informed. So, what's all the stress for? Let go of the bitterness, sweetie. You'd glow better when you do.
You know the typical way we act when things do not work out as planned. We make excuses, we blame other people or circumstances, and then we distract ourselves with things that make us feel good, even at the expense of another person's mental health. Let's stop it, please.
Let go of your warped mindset; that mindset that you must always be given the best just because you 'deserve' it; just because you've invested in a person or idea for long and it's not yielding the desired results. It's painful, I know. I know.
But, for how long would you keep the resentment? The hurts? The bitterness?
If you read the last newsletter, talking about how intentions meet contradictory reactions even when the actions went as planned. That's the case, here. Life happens. A lot has happened and there's more to come. Life.
Let’s talk about gratitude.
What's that thing in your life that you do not acknowledge as much as you should? Something very great that you always forget to appreciate. Try to recollect... It might be something very little or large. You can choose to be appreciative without mentioning another person‘s predicament as a yardstick. Gratitude is an action that gradually becomes a habit. When you learn to appreciate more, there's this incredible feeling that accompanies it. Quickly, you can get rid of entitlement.
Lastly, try as much as you can to assess, experience and sustain positivity.
Again, I hope this newsletter meets you well, and I hope you love it as much as I do. Have anyone you think might need this? Kindly share it with them. A little act of kindness like this might go a long way In their lives.
I appreciate the love as I do not take it for granted.
Have a productive week.
Till I write you again,
Bolarinwa Roqeebat.
This is a beautiful piece. I agree, gratitude should exist even without the predicament of another as a yardstick.
Imagine if everybody was free if every predicament, what then will you be grateful for.
I love this
This is a very helpful and beautiful piece.
I agree with you totally ❤️.
Thank you