This morning, I caught myself getting salty over something that I should be grateful for in reality.

The opportunity was given to me in a totally unexpected way, and demanding more was simply my selfishness and a sense of entitlement manifesting itself.

Moreover, I thought I was somehow entitled to more lucrative opportunities, as I thought I was better equipped and smarter than others getting those opportunities.

I wasn’t. I am not.

Feeling a sense of entitlement makes us demand more from the world, and resentful in the case things don’t pan out as we desired. It becomes a quick path to misery.

I’m not only saying this in the veins of “If you expect less, you will be frustrated less.” (Which is also true).

If you feel less entitled, there emerges a room for more gratitude, and this shift in mindset naturally makes you a happier person.

Soon you start noticing more things in life that you could be thankful for and pleasantly surprised by, and less things that lead to unjustified frustration.

Maybe you feel as if you actually deserve something, and it didn’t come through. Maybe you did actually deserve it. That breeds frustration, of course.

But think of it this way. How many of the things that you took for granted did you actually deserve?

Chances are, if you are reading this blog somehow, you are privileged. How many of those privileges were hard earn?

No entitlement leads to more gratitude and positive attitudes, which breed happiness.

And having a happy, positive, and thankful attitude draw people in. It makes others want to help you more.

You may be feeling down because a certain thing didn’t work out as you hoped. Hold the frustration, and try to have a great attitude about it.

Chances are, that shift in mindset will not only result in contentness in the present, but better opportunities and outcomes in the future.