The Entitled Society

Sorry for my hiatus. I've been meditating about a lot of things lately, and the same thing keeps popping up into my head, on TV, in the papers, and on the streets. There is such an amazing sense of entitlement in the world today. With tomorrow being Thanksgiving, and people giving thanks for the things they have in their lives, it seems like the time to call out to the world to stop the idea of entitlement.


You are not entitled to anything on this planet. You are not entitled to anything at work, in the financial markets, in housing or education, or anything else this world has to offer. What this means, is that no matter what you have, you should be grateful for it, even if it's just a small studio apartment with barely any furniture in it. You are not entitled to more; do not think you are.

In the early stages of the United States, when the colonists came, it was a dual edged sword. They thought they were entitled to the land here, even though it was already occupied by the American Indians. On the other hand, they (as well as the Indians) built strong communities based on what the needs of the community were, not on the needs of the individual. If you did not help build your shelter, then you had no shelter. You were not entitled to shelter just because you were there. If you did not go out and look for food, hunt for food, or work in the fields to cultivate food, then you ate no food. You were not entitled to it. The idea was, you either work for it, or you don't get it. That idea in the USA is long gone.

If you want more, then you have to go out and get more. Not by stealing, not by begging, and certainly not by expecting others to get it for you. You need to go out there and work for it. You are entitled to nothing on this earth. Instead of thinking how you always want more, you should be aware that you could always have less. What a difference in thinking that is, to realize that all that you have now, may be the most you ever have, and while you're out there telling everyone how much more you deserve, what would happen if you lost what you already have?

Gratitude is not in wanting. It is only in what is here and now. I've seen cancer patients, who undergo horrible treatment, making them so very weak and ill, just to be able to spend a few more weeks with their loved ones, and they are grateful for the time. Imagine, all that you want right now, and somewhere someone is hoping just for a few more days with their spouse, their child, or their friend. Gratitude is the present moment. It must lie within us, and must be one of our highest priorities. How many of you have said thank you recently just for the ability to read this? For your eyesight, your hearing, the ability to see the sunset, or hear a child's laughter? To be able to touch the face of your loved one, and have the fingers and hands to do that with?

The world is becoming such a reactionary and greedy society. The idea of "me" at all costs, no matter who it hurts. I have a great deal of compassion for those individuals out there so blind to the ways of the world, so blind to their own responsibilities on this world, those creating unwanted Karma in this world, instead of erasing it. It is with much compassion that I write this, calling out to the world to awaken. You are not entitled to anything. And when you are truly grateful for what you have, and I mean heartfelt gratitude for what you have, you will realize that you don't need anything else. One of the first questions that I ask people when I work with them is, "If your life never changes from what it is right now; your relationship status, job status, living status would never change, would you be happy?" And nearly 100% of the time the answer is "no". Well, this just may be the pinnacle of your life. You may look back at this time in the future and wish you had what you have now. So, if your answer is "no", then your job is to find a way to be happy inside with where you are now. Because you are not entitled to anything else, and there's no guarantee that you'll have tomorrow what you have today.

It's time to wake up. It's time we help the world wake up. It is up to us on the path to bring peace and joy to the world, and awaken it to a new way to see things. I am committed to this act. So, this Thanksgiving, take some time to reevaluate where you are, and what is important to you. Go a step beyond giving thanks for your food (knowing that the food you throw away is more than what 60% of the world eats), and to really, truly look inside yourself and say "thank you", for being here, for breathing (without difficulty), and for being open to all the amazing possibilities that the Universe can offer you. And know, that your happiness does not come from anything outside yourself. It is all within you.

Peace and Love to all my readers. Thank you for reading, and thank you for being patient in my absence.

The Entitled Society