We live in an entitlement culture, in which everything is available instantly and easily, with little effort on our part. This has created a sense of entitlement in some, whom I will call the Entitlement Generation. 'Slow and steady' and 'putting in the hard yards'? That is so last century. Why wait when I can have my dream car/house/lifestyle now?
The trouble with the modern day entitlement mentality is that we may end up demanding more of others and ourselves than we are willing to invest. We notice the speck of sawdust in our co-worker's eye, but miss the plank in our own.
We refuse to acknowledge that we have a part to play in our career dissatisfaction. It's not my fault I didn't get promoted. My boss only notices people who talk a lot and like to show off.
We blame the system, the economic recession, the hostile work environment.
We get disconnected from workplace realities. Start at entry level? You must be joking. I've got a law degree!
We lose our sense of perspective. When the focus is all about me and mine, there is no room to honor the spiritual. Great men and women know and practise values, morals and ethics such as hard work, sacrifice, compassion and service.
Caroline O'Connor is one of the biggest stars of Australian music theatre. In an interview with The Sunday Age, she reveals that it has taken her "27 years of constant auditioning, rehearsing and performing" to get to the top. She was 32 when she landed her first real starring role, and wonders at impatient young performers who want to be the leads right away rather than learning the ropes in the ensemble.
To someone with an entitlement mentality, good is not good enough.
At the other end of the spectrum are those people who think so lowly of themselves and their abilities that they don't feel qualified for any career.
When you suggest they try something new, they say "I'm not good enough". And they don't do anything about it. Sometimes, this means they stay trapped for years in a tedious, soulless job.
Somewhere in the spectrum between an entitlement attitude and a sense of inadequacy is a sweet spot called "good enough". That is the home of contentment and true peace, the place where your dream career and your best career choice reside.