Self Reliance – Death Of The Entitlement Mindset

February 18, 2010 | Posted by Brad Chaffee

It seems as though people tend to rely on other people for so many things these days. I know I’ve been guilty of it myself. It’s sometimes the first thing we do—wait to see if we can get it from someone else–without effort.

Without effort. Hmmm…that sounds good doesn’t it?

If every time we wanted or needed something, someone was there to hand it to us, life would be pretty grand wouldn’t it? You wish!

We feel we deserve so much, and for some reason think someone else should provide it for us. I’ve uttered the words, “I’ve paid my dues, now it’s time for me to receive, they owe me.”

The word “entitlement” should be considered a four-letter word!

I’ve since changed that mindset because it is dangerous. Relying on others comes at a terrible cost? I would propose that it only makes us weaker. It makes us less likely to ever try doing it ourselves. Once you stop getting and doing things for yourself, you stop learning. When you stop learning, what’s the point?

Why do you think so many people decide to file bankruptcy each year? They do it because it’s easy, and without effort—they can clean up a mess without much thought or consequence at all. How hard is it to pay someone else to fix your mistakes?

There are so many things that I would not be able to do if I hadn’t tried and eventually learned how to do myself. I would have very little to no skills at all if I kept the same entitlement, the world owes me everything mindset. In fact had I filed bankruptcy when I was encouraged to do so, I would have never learned how to manage my money better.

This is a subject that has played heavily on my mind lately as it seems to be a growing trend to rely on someone else to provide essentials. I may have needed help from time to time in my life, and I have certainly benefited by other peoples generosity because of it. I’m not talking about getting help when you are down. I’m talking about when you are down, getting right back up and trying again, instead of staying down. Don’t give up. Don’t accept the notion that if you are going to have something someone else must provide it. Find a way to get it yourself.

When I finally stopped relying on and blaming others for my misfortunes, my life seemed to get so much better. My life changed when I held myself responsible for what I wanted to do, be, and get in this life. Improve your life, by learning how to do for yourself, it is way worth it.

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Brad Chaffee is the Enemy of Debt, and a regular contributor here at the Self Reliance Exchange. In March he is encouraging people to be more self reliant in their finances by participating in the Manage Your Money challenge. Learn more about Brad by reading his bio.

Categories: self reliance | Tags: do it yourself, self reliance | No Comments »