THE HAPPY FREE LITTLE BEE SAID: “IT’S ABOUT WE… NOT ME”!

Jacob is a 17-year-old high school student who studies frequently after school. He is preparing for his midterm exams.

After school, he eats and goes straight to his room to study. He is an Honour of Distinction student and has the habits of a successful person. He has self-discipline and is very driven to succeed in life. Through his hard work, he inevitably earns one of the highest marks on his exams. Jacob feels happy but stays humble about his astounding marks.

Peter is in the same classes as Jacob. Peter does not study much and spends most of his time hanging out with friends. He is frequently on his cell phone and sleeps in class. He has no drive or motivation to study.
Peter brings a cheat sheet to his exams and passes with a perfect score.

Peter is very happy and brags to everyone that he got a perfect score. He feels he deserves the Honour of Distinction award, even though Jacob has had the best marks in the class for the last six months.

What is the difference in this situation? It is obvious that Jacob has more justified entitlement to his marks compared to Peter.

This is a classic case of correct and justified entitlement shown by Jacob, compared to Peter, who displays unhealthy entitlement.

What exactly is entitlement?

A sense of entitlement is when someone believes they are more deserving or better than others and therefore should receive special treatment.

Entitlement can be a good thing when it comes to being respected, looking after your own needs, and wanting to feel special and unique. But if someone wants more special treatment than others, then it is no
longer considered a healthy sense of entitlement.

WE ALL HAVE OUR OPINIONS
Your voice is important, but so are the voices of others. We must be willing to listen to and understand people’s thoughts, feelings, and opinions just as much as we want to be heard ourselves. Never think that you are always right and others are always wrong. That is unhealthy entitlement.

NEVER HURT OTHERS
Never hurt people if things do not go your way or if they do not do something you ask for.

In life, things do not always go our way, but we should never take our frustrations out on others. Understand that it is okay if things do not happen the way we want them to.

Everyone has a right to say no. Once you accept that, you can focus on doing it yourself. Asking someone nicely and tactfully will get a much better response than yelling at them.

SENSE OF SUPERIORITY
Never feel that you are etter than anyone else or that you deserve more than people you believe are beneath you.

The truth is that we are not better or worse than anyone. We all have our own gifts and talents. Everyone should be accepted as an individual. We are all unique, and the best thing we can do is just be you without comparing yourself to others.

Having a sense of entitlement often shows little care for others and focuses only on oneself. As I stated earlier, taking care of ourselves, practicing self-love, and accepting ourselves are all good things.

Showing no care or concern for anyone else but yourself is not good. Everyone in this world matters. People deserve to be loved and cared for. Showing empathy, kindness, appreciation, and making someone feel special are some of the most beautiful things you can do for another person. God will bless you in so many ways.

You are important, and so are your needs. But so is every other person in this world.

Just because someone is successful…

Being successful is wonderful. But never feel that you deserve more admiration or should always be the centre of attention because of your accomplishments. Even if another person may not be as ccomplished,
they still deserve the same kindness and respect. Never push them aside. Never make them feel worthless or like a waste of space.

Help others succeed. Encourage them. Inspire them. But never compare yourself to them. You are a champion, so please help others because they are champions too.

A sense of entitlement and coasting through life.

I am a firm believer that in life, if you want something, you must get it the old-fashioned way. You must earn it!

Nothing should simply be handed to us. We must work hard for what we want. We must put in the effort despite the challenges we face in order to achieve victory. This is justified entitlement that is truly deserved. Being kind and humble along the way adds the cherry on top of the entitled ice cream you deserve to enjoy.

Giving your children necessities such as clothes, school books, birthday gifts, and Christmas presents is perfectly acceptable, and I fully support that. But if you constantly give children everything they want, they may begin to expect it all the time.

Whether they realize it or not, they begin to believe they can do nothing and still receive everything they want. And if they do not get what they want, they may throw tantrums, yell, and scream.

By doing this repeatedly, they may grow up believing that everything should simply be handed to them without effort. Then, when life does not go their way, they become angry and frustrated.

Teaching children to complete simple tasks at a young age, such as studying for good grades, keeping their room clean, and helping with small chores, teaches them that in order to get something, they must earn it.

BLAMING OTHERS
If you make mistakes in life, own up to them and hold yourself accountable. Never blame others for your shortcomings. Once you acknowledge your mistakes, you can learn, grow, and become a better person.

The way I see it, the world does not revolve around us. It is not always about “me, me, me.” Nobody owes us anything, and people do not have to behave a certain way to meet our standards and expectations. There are over 7.7 billion people in the world, and many are disadvantaged. So my beautiful friends, continue being your best selves. Keep doing great things. Look after your own needs but also be considerate and kind toward the needs of others.

If we all work collectively together and treat each other with respect and courtesy, then we can all live better, healthier, and happier lives.