Matthew McConaughey said it best when he said, "Life is not easy. It is not. Don't try to make it that way. Life's not fair, it never was, it isn't now, and it won't ever be. Do not fall into the trap — the entitlement trap — of feeling like you're a victim. You are not. Get over it, get on with it."
Hearing these words in his speech really slapped me with reliability. I don't often get frustrated, but I tend to get very frustrated with certain people. Usually those who claim on a daily basis, "Whoa is me." I completely understand if you have a tough day some days and want to dwell on it, but the less you do that, the better.
Keeping your head down and just striving each and every day to not let things get in your way when you're trying to get shit done, is such an underrated quality. Push the ego aside and just get down to business. It frustrates me more and more to watch people beat around the bush when they feel the odds are stacked against them.
When something is put in your way, why would you slow down when speeding up and powering through it will be the true beneficial approach in the end? Complaining about something and exaggerating about how hard the task or obstacle is in your way, this approach will not help you.
I'm not saying that if you're depressed, stop being depressed. I'm not saying if you've been raped or sexually abused, that you're not a victim. Because those are two entirely different things that are exempt from this conversation.
However, those that struggle with hard work, those that struggle with overcoming adversity, those that fail to realize that they're just like everyone else, need to check their ego at the door and take a reality check. Life is meant to be difficult. Life is meant to knock you down and build you up. If we didn't have the hard times, we wouldn't appreciate the little things that make life wonderful.
So what if you didn't get that promotion? You need to step back and view it with an objective point-of-view. Were you really the true top candidate for that position? If you realize you weren't, congratulations, get back to work and make yourself a clear cut, one and only candidate for the next superior position that opens up at your office. Grind until you shine. It's my favorite saying whenever reality smacks me in the chops and sends me for a loop.
People fail to recognize and understand the future that comes with hard work and "nose to the grindstone" mentality. If you keep struggling to get a job offer after college, keep throwing out applications. Keep taking notes on your interview qualities, keep taking notes on what employers are looking for, and never stop reassessing what you may have to do in order to get that job you really want.
Maybe you need to go back to school. Maybe you need to throw out a low-ball salary for some sort of probationary period to prove to them what you can do. That idea may sound incredibly crazy, but in order to get something you've never had, you've got to do something you've never done.
Don't ever settle for the entitlement mentality. Nobody in this world owes you a single thing. Everyone will have to work and maintain their life on the path they want it to. Struggling to find days off may be incredibly difficult if you are striving to get to where you want to be. Not having a day off should begin to feel more of an accomplishment than a drag after a while. You're working to get to where you want to be. Being productive should begin to feel good. Successful people take time off from work, but they do so in a productive manner.
Struggling to meet a deadline or something comes up that makes reaching that deadline even harder? Showing emotion and getting visually and verbally upset about it is only going to hurt your mentality and reputation. Your coworkers won't appreciate it. Your superiors will only reflect upon that negativity and assess your fellow coworkers reactions as well. They won't be good.
Instead, get excited and be the positive influence for the rest of the office morale around you. You have no idea how your response to difficult news will be perceived by others. It may annoy some people, being the upbeat person in the office, but they'll understand the respect and perfection that you demand as a coworker. Striving to be the MVP (in a professional manner) will always be something other employees will look up to. However, remember there's a fine line between being the MVP of the office and being the office brown-nose.
Being negative, upset, and clearly frustrated is never the ticket when trying to accomplish anything. Playing the victim card and hoping someone else will take on that responsibility is the quickest way to get stuck where you are, be considered for the next layoff, or maybe even worse.
Life is not fair, and neither is the workplace. However, if you're doing all you can in order to become successful in your field, being entitled has no reservation in your road trip itinerary to the pathway of success.
