You Don’t Deserve It

As we watched the first two episodes of the new season of Yellowstone, you could hear a pin drop. Season three ended on a cliffhanger with multiple lives hanging in the balance and finally, it was time to get some answers. I’m not going to ruin it for those of you who haven’t caught up yet. But if you haven’t seen this series, my advice is to start at the beginning and turn off social media. 

In season four, we are introduced to “Chubby.” He’s newly orphaned and having a hard go, to say the least. As Chubby gets his first real break in life, he is told, “never forget you don’t deserve it.” 

You don’t deserve it. Those words kept ringing in my ears. The full context is that the trick to making something of yourself is to realize that no one deserves this opportunity or this life. It’s harsh, AND it’s some of the best advice any of us could ever give or receive.  

When we understand that we really don’t deserve anything, even our smallest blessings are more joyful and our mindset shifts to gratitude. Gratitude simply leads to more blessings, more joy, better friendships and a fulfilled, happy life.  

Entitlement, on the other hand, will rob us of our blessings and joy. It’s so easy to work hard, be next in line, miss an opportunity, be treated unfairly or make big sacrifices and immediately feel entitled. We can find ourselves working hard towards an entitlement mindset. Even if you are entitled, that mindset is not going to move the needle one millimeter. It’s simply not helpful. When we are blinded by entitlement, we miss ways to make this world a better place or help another person feel blessed to have us as a friend.  

For me, I don’t deserve it and I know it.