Respected and Revered

One of the perils of becoming good at what we do is that some of us develop a feeling of entitlement.

We start to feel, as defined in Merriam-Webster, a “belief that (we are) deserving of or entitled to certain privileges.”

I worked hard to get here.

I paid my dues.

I suffered through all those hard times.

I put in the work.

I deserve to be respected and revered.

While we may be able to make a valid argument that we should be respected, feeling entitled isn’t going to solve any of our problems. It’s not going to get us any more customers. It’s not going to get people to like us. It’s not going to close the sale. It’s not going to make things miraculously go our way.

Sure, eventually we work long enough that we all feel entitled.

But, it’s not going to put food on the table.

That’s what hard work’s for.