Access vs. Entitlement

In my talks with other therapists and business owners lately, the word entitlement keeps coming up. In business meetings and at my practice I continue to see this confusion. The following is my personal view.

In all reality, the only people that are entitled to any and all that I have are God, my husband and my son. Spiritually, legally and biologically they are entitled to any and all benefits, money, material things, emotional support, etc. that I have.

Everyone else in my life is granted access. And I have control over who gets it. I have a right to say who gets my time, energy, and support. In both my personal life and business life this has granted me a reputation for being tough (or mean) but I do not keep people around for long who confuse access with entitlement. Knowing and enforcing the difference has done nothing but improve my personal and business life.

You can't plant seeds in dry ground and expect a harvest. You only get harvest from fertile ground. It may be a hard thing to hear, but it will save you from wasting your most precious commodity - TIME.