Many of us frown on the “entitled” without realizing we ourselves feel it, believing we are owed something in this life. It often stems from childhood. If you weren’t shown how to value yourself and fill your own emotional tank, you looked externally. You thought hard work would be rewarded, as if a fairy godmother was keeping score and would fill up the part of you that was missing. Unfortunately, this belief will keep you stuck in a cycle of anger and frustration, waiting for a reward that may never come.

Entitlement isn’t about deserving—it’s about scarcity. If you work like no one’s business, you feel entitled to your piece of the pie. Maybe you put years of effort into a relationship that isn’t working, waiting for it to become the partnership you “deserve.” When it doesn’t happen, you are left angry and resentful, cursing the universe for not providing what you think you’re owed. When you discover these feelings of entitlement, ask yourself what’s really missing. Can you pull back your efforts and connect with yourself to fill your own void? Entitlement is a disconnect between your heart and your head. Instead of holding tightly to what you’re “entitled” to, let go of the outcome and allow yourself to experience life.