It’s interesting how the meanings of certain words change over time. These two words used to represent the apex of values and ethics. Today these two words cause anxiety, disdain and divisiveness.
Here they are:
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
How did these two words become so filthy and vile to so many people? To answer that question we need to explore another word which has mutated through common usage. This word used once referred to those who refused to accept personal responsibility, its meaning held a connotation of complacency, laziness and self-perpetuating poverty. For many people today, this word now represents a person’s innate birth rights and privileges.
This word:
ENTITLEMENT
What, exactly, are you “entitled” to? Are you “entitled” to a job at a living wage? Are you “entitled” to employment at all? Are you “entitled” to free health care? Are you “entitled” to a college education, or for that matter any education at all?
When we talk about rights and privileges to which we are entitled, we usually refer to the Constitution of the United States of America and its amendments, the first ten of which are often referred to as The Bill of Rights.
Read the Bill of Rights. You won’t find any mention of “entitlement.” What’s really interesting is that you won’t find any mention of the government “granting” any rights or privileges at all! The first ten amendments simply prevent any government infringement on the rights our founders interpreted as the natural rights of every person granted by God (substitute whatever Politically Correct being you prefer). Of course, at the time you had to be considered a “person” as specified by law and we’ve changed that interpretation over time to be much more inclusive and to correct the wrongs that some of our founders accepted in the context of their time.
Still, no mention of entitlement.
In fact, there are only two places in the Constitution where and form of entitlement is mentioned. The District of Columbia is “entitled” to be treated as if it were a State for the purpose of electing the President and Vice-President according to the 23rd Amendment. Back in the 4th Amendment the authors of The Constitution did find it necessary to spell out that we’re each “entitled to all the Privileges and Immunities of Citizens of the several States.” That does mean if you’re legally married in Maine, you’re also legally married in Arizona whether they like who you’re married to or not.
We can debate what privileges and entitlements we decide to grant others on a local, state or even national level. But the fact is that our Constitution was written primarily to limit the power of government and assure the rights of the individual against the collective. In simple terms, our Constitution protects you and I against the government or a group of our peers from taking our property and telling us what to do with our lives. (Most of the time!)
In my humble opinion there is one entitlement and one alone. We are each entitled to OPPORTUNITY! Of course we should each appreciate that this entitlement is largely the product of being blessed enough to be part of American society. Still, here we are and as Americans we are certainly entitled to opportunity.
The rest is up to you. What will you do with this remarkable entitlement?
You can choose to squander opportunity. One of the worst ways to squander opportunity is to focus on scarcity. Any of us can spend a significant portion of the day worrying about what we don’t have. Any one of us certainly lacks some resources necessary or desired to produce our personal visions of success.
Start the day with gratitude then continue the day by focusing on abundance. The resources you currently possess are those you need to generate other resources that lead to success. What you don’t have is not important in this moment other than as a goal or objective. What you have right now are the essential ingredients you need to increase abundance and achieve your goals and objectives…
…even if all you have right now is opportunity!
Focus on what you think you should be entitled to and you’ll find plenty to complain about, but like the proverbial ostrich you’ll only see the opportunities around you if you have eyes on your backside. The process of gratitude opens your mind, heart and spirit as well as your eyes and ears to the opportunity that exists in every single day.
Your entitlement is opportunity. It’s your responsibility to take advantage of opportunity. Gratitude is your gateway.
Two Dirty Words… - To learn more about this author, visit Jim Bouchard's Website.
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