Friday, April 30, 2010

Responsibilities

In response to the questions below:
Can you expand a little on this age of "entitlement" thing?   
Are all teens spoiled these days?

What are you teaching?
What is the example you set?
How do you show our young people and your children how to live and love and give?
How responsible are you for how you care for your loved ones, your finances, your job and your health?

Do you take for granted you will have a job?
Do you complain about having to work?
Do you handle your money carefully and with respect?
Do you buy what you need rather than what you want?
Do you eat the right foods and appreciate where and how they are grown?
Do you use fuel for car and home wisely?
Do you conserve water, electricity and earth resources you use?
Do you share what you have with others who have need?
Do you use your time wisely and spend it on what inspires and increases your wisdom and well-being?

In family systems our children and teens learn most fro how we live, not from what we say.
When we are modeling all these qualities we want for future generations, they admire and respect us.
When we are preaching, demanding and nagging for improvement, but do not improve ourselves, they do not respect, admire or believe us.

Children observe parents, teachers, employers to see how happy, healthy and successful they are.
In contrast, they observe how sports figures, politicians, music and movie stars live and what they say.
When we can be as happy and fulfilled as those who are glamorized, then we will be admired.
Are we genuinely happy and fulfilled?
Do we take good care of ourselves in obvious and subtle ways?
Are we loved and respected by others?
Do we share our happiness and our prosperity with others with gratitude and joy?


The age of entitlement comes from not seeing people work and enjoy working.
The feelings of getting what you want without giving much in return come from upbringing.
When parents work hard to “give their kids everything”, the children feel entitled to “everything”.
It is the adults (parents, teachers, employers) responsibility to expect and teach the benefits of work.

When our survival was our concern, we work to live.
When our pleasure is our concern, we work to fulfill our desires.
When our wealth is our concern, we focus on getting money.
When improving ourselves and serving humanity is our concern, we spend inner time healing, learning and growing.

We can refocus our children, our community, our workplace and our world, but changing our focus.
We can become responsible for making our bed and using our resources with respect and gratitude.
We can model effective living by letting go of laziness, lethargy, dependency and depression.
We can get up each day with an intention to live the best we know and improve as we grow.

Life is our choice.  How we use all we are given is our choice.
Expect nothing and give everything.
Honor yourself for being willing to DO THE WORK!

Loving all of us as we relinquish our unhealthy habits,
Betty Lue