“No matter how qualified or deserving we are, we will never reach a better life until we can imagine it for ourselves and allow ourselves to have it.” Richard Bach, famed American author of Jonathon Livingston Seagull

I’m reading a lot about the word “deserve” recently. I didn’t realize how powerful a word it is and how twisted a view I have on it. Have you ever asked yourself about how you view the word, “deserve?” How did you deserve something when you were little? Were there rules in your house about deserving? Did you have to earn it? Were things taken away when you did something wrong? For me, my answers to all of these questions is, “Yes!”

So with all of our, perhaps unhelpful, history with deserving, what do we believe we deserve? And if we are entitled to it because of good service, then why isn’t it coming our way? Do we need to do more, or do better? We are good people, why aren’t we being showered with all the things we deserve? Maybe Brach nailed it when he said we need to first, “imagine it for ourselves and allow ourselves to have it.” Ah, brilliant! The trouble with deserving lies within us!

Do you deserve love? What about joy and happiness? And success? Riches? Yes, to all of these, right? But what if it’s us that’s blocking all of these good things because we believe we haven’t earned it yet? We believe we aren’t good enough. We believe we need to be punished for our wrongdoings? Today, I’m saying this for all of us: STOP IT! This belief is completely flawed. We are human and we will never be perfect, but we DESERVE all the good things in life right now! I need us all to IMAGINE IT and ALLOW OURSELVES TO HAVE IT! Let these kinds of thoughts lead you into the fourth quarter.

Let’s GO!!!! WE GOT THIS!
Beth

Enjoy a fun and safe Labor Day weekend!