P4E.271 Entitled Lives

We must constantly remind ourselves that we are not entitled to lives without:

Annoyances

Misunderstandings

Disagreements

Setbacks

Mistakes

Fear

Sadness

Unfaithfulness

Failure

False accusations

Unfairness

Rejection

Hostility

Cruelty

Injustice

Prejudice

Abuse

Harassment

Poverty

Discomfort

Pain

Injury

Illness

Death

In America, we may have laws that punish those who practice some of them, but the reality is that we are not exempt from experiencing them.

The challenge is that we must live in community with other human kind. Although we have tremendous capacity for good, we also have a natural tendency toward selfishness, greed, jealousy, pride, and lust.

When we encounter the things that upset us, those circumstances bring about opportunities to develop positive character qualities and pursue our capacity for good.

We have a real propensity to make a bad situation worse; to match and even escalate the negativity that comes our way. But, in our better moments, we can exercise self-control and practice grace and forgiveness, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and goodness.

Let’s do good.