Self Entitlement: Expensive Living of Little Value

A few weeks ago I was mulling over all the exciting recent events that had taken place in my life so far, and rather quickly my thoughts got ahead of themselves until too little too late, I was swimming in a sea of thick with emotion, pulling me down to its unreclaimable depths.

I had risen early in the morning disturbed by an all too realistic dream, in where I found myself losing someone I love dearly, due to the darkness that lays dormant. All day I tried to reason myself out of it. I could not let it go. Perhaps this is one of my biggest fears (perhaps one day, that darkness will stir within, and emotionally tear, with no avail. Alone, abandoned, impenetrable will I be on this day). I began to think of the instances in this world where people suffer at the expense of others.

Depressing? Perhaps. Unless you look at this as a way to realign yourself to living as a bearer of peace. I've fought in this life to not just see things in one light. For if I do, I never grow, never fully understand, never return to life.


I began to become infuriated with the lack of kindness we show towards others via understanding and respect.

When we always demand attention, we do not see others, we do not embrace others. Our entitlement, devalues another at the expense of your own pride, forgetting to bestow grace. And too often we forget how to listen, rather thinking of triumphant retorts, waiting for our turn to recoup "accurate thinking". What you actually return to, is one dimensional thinking of self, and the inability to ever reach a common ground.

When we become self entitled for whatever reason--maybe our culture bred it in us, or no one ever told you that you were good enough, perhaps the struggles of life have taught you to put up a wall and demand from the world, that which was not given--when this becomes our way of living, everyone (including yourself) loses value.

Which isn't how it was supposed to be. We should not look at others, separating ourselves, and checking off our lists of why someone might be more valuable, more incredible (or less). We should not look for affirmation of ourselves at the expense of someone else. Even humorous taunts, fun as they might be, too often over step the lines of tolerance, when the heart is in the wrong place.

Should we not remember the grace in which we have fallen into ourselves? We should. Do we forget how many times someone has placed upon us warmth, welcome and genuine kindness? We do.

Human life is an immeasurable necessity to our survival and to our ability to thrive in our own lives. We are wired to fellowship and respond in love. That is when we feel most content, most genuinely happy.

When our happiness does not lie on how we compare to someone, rather how we relate to someone. This is when we begin to taste the goodness of life.

When we have something to give it becomes far more valuable when we invest it in a place that will thrive with life, rather than keeping it for the security of your isolated self.

Only then, will we truly know our value. Only then, acceptance and the ability to become unchained; freely; beautifully.

Only then, will we truly know how to love.

"Ah, the sweet smell of compassion upon the morning dew. It will bring to me a lover."

http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_thurman_on_compassion.html