Entitlement & Happiness

Check out Irina's great post on entitlement, happiness, and a host of other subjects.

I've almost always found that people are happy - or unhappy - simply because they choose to be. There are always other factors that affect how happy a person will be, but with most things it is how a person decides they want to be. If a person wants to be happy with someone, with something, with a gift they get, with their job, with their marriage, whatever: They have to choose to be happy. If a person chooses to be unhappy, to not be content, they won't be no matter how good it is.

Unfortunately, the sense of entitlement that Irina talks about has grown to disgusting proportions these days. I think this is often more true in certain cities or certain communities; it's often because of how a person is raised in terms of values and what kind of friends a person has. But that sense of entitlement is there, and it is simply wrong. It's why I especially enjoyed the post from last year by my sister-in-law which I reprinted a couple of days ago - the main point of "It isn't coming to us" is so important to keep in mind, especially in these times.

This isn't just about people being spoiled. This is about people who aren't spoiled yet remain unhappy, because they're not choosing to be happy. Some have convinced themselves that they're "stuck" and they have to be unhappy, and there's nothing to be done about it. Others don't realize that there's a bright side and they're missing it. And still others don't even notice that they choose to be unhappy time and time again when they could just as easily choose to be happy.

It's time to be happy, people.

On that note... We'd like to wish everyone a wonderful chag (holiday) full of simcha (happiness, joy). There's no better time to start being happier than the zman simchaseinu (time of our rejoicing - another term for this holiday of Sukkos), is there? :) Chag Sameach!!!