In some of my postings, both here and on other's sites, I have made reference to what I call the "Age" or "Era of Entitlement". I believe there is a growing perception, even belief, on behalf of many in today's western society that they deserve, or are "entitled", to positions, status and/or wealth for which others have had to earn. I propose that this pervasive societal belief is interfering with many people success using the Law of Attraction to manifest their Desired Outcomes.

Historically, one has had to work one's way up "the ladder", through a hierarchical series of positions as one demonstrated one's work ethic and/or value to a company. This process had its weaknesses in that it was predicated on the integrity and ethics of superiors (in "position", not necessarily "ability") to notice the value of the employees under their supervision and promote them accordingly. The process was subject to abuse, through "kingdom builders" promoting only their clones or those they could manipulate most easily so as to build a personal "fiefdom" within a given corporate structure. In like manner, those who did not "toe" the corporate line or submit to a superior's authority would likely find their promotion upward delayed or denied. However, in a general sense, it allowed those with knowledge and ability to rise upward to positions of progressively greater authority and, more importantly, corporate liability consistent with their increasing level of experience.

Entitlement

It seems to me that, in today's society, there is an expectation that one is "entitled" to the position they desire rather than having to earn it. I suggest this "attitude of entitlement" is the direct result of one or more of the following:

• Educational Elitism

• Level of Parental Care - Parents provision for their children's needs,

• Change in the Moral Fabric of Western Society, and / or

• Unreasonable Expectations

1. Educational Elitism

a. As an employer, I have run into this position on many occasions. In interviewing a candidate from one university, I am shocked to discover their entry level salary expectations, after simply completing a four year B.Sc. program, is equivalent to my working salary (B.Sc., M.Sc. and over twenty years experience). This attitude derives from the reputation (perceived or deserved) of the university from which they graduated, in that they graduated from "U of whatever" and so there is a premium attached to hiring them on that basis.

Comparable students, with comparable education from another university, have more reasonable salary expectations (more consistent with Industry Standards). It is my practice to provide a starting salary and, after a probationary period and some work experience, to raise their salary, if justified by work ethic, leadership, results, etc. (value to the corporation). They earn their salary based on demonstrated merit (value).

b. As an acknowledged gross simplification, I suggest that the recent financial crisis was due to a set of elitist MBA graduates from reputable business schools, hired into positions of authority on "Wall Street" for which they were poorly qualified (on the basis of experience), implementing theoretical practices (extending credit to high-risk clients, then packaging that bad debt for sale to other financial institutions) with little real world practical results. (As more information has come to light, it is increasingly difficult to believe that credit was so widespread to so many unable to service the resulting debt load).

c. Executive Benefit Packages. Who will soon forget the image of the High Paid Corporate guns from the Big Three automakers, each showing up on Capital Hill in their personal corporate jets to request financial bail-out packages worth billions? Who can forget the executives of so many financial institutions, clamouring for urgently needed financial bail-outs, only to give themselves HUGE executive compensation packages from those same bail-out funds? It used to be that executive compensation packages were in the order of 40 times that of the average employee. Now they are 400x time that, or more. The same people responsible, in large degree, for the current financial crisis.

2. Level of Parental Care

Arguably, for the first time in history, the middle and, to a lesser extent, lower class of society have been able to provide their children with a better lifestyle than their own. With the advent of widespread social programs in the 20th century, health and education systems have been made available throughout society (as a generalization, I realize there are flaws). In particular, more students have been able to avail themselves of a post secondary education (trade school, college or university) and, therefore, secure more desirable, better paying jobs than their parents.

Most importantly, the struggles that our parents and, more specifically our grandparents, dealt with in raising their children is largely unknown to, at least, the middle class in western society. One outcome of this cultural phenomenon is that the current generation has little appreciation of the value of money and has become a society of disposable consumerism. We need to have the fastest, newest and the best, irregardless of whether what we have is sufficient to our needs. In addition, we have become a society that believes it is entitled to what it wants.

3. Change in the Moral Fabric of Western Society

Another of the recent changes in modern society has been a transition to a fault-less society. "It is not my fault" and "I come from a dysfunctional family" are examples of typical excuses. I suggest that most, if not every, family is dysfunctional to some degree. I believe we are responsible for our own actions. If we have weaknesses, then we should deal with them (mental illness being an exception), not persist in using them as crutches to avoid responsibility for our actions.

James Allen, in "Light on Life's Difficulties" might be summarized as stating "As You Think, So Shall You Become". If we live the philosophy that "It is not our fault", then I suspect we will have difficulty in advancing in our chosen profession. Who would reasonably put someone in a position of responsibility if they take the position that they are not responsible for the outcomes of their direct actions? I wouldn't.

Again, I would argue it is a factor contributing to an attitude of entitlement.

4. Unreasonable Expectations

Unreasonable expectations is a very general term for which I have not yet identified additional, underlying causes for an "Attitude of Entitlement". Unreasonable expectations can, certainly, originate from the three categories proposed above, however, I don't believe they, as yet, capture many other circumstances. Therefore, at this time, this represents a "catch all" category for a work in progress.

The Attitude of Entitlement and the Law of Attraction

The Attitude of Entitlement, I believe, pervades much of the last decades worth of material (books, magazines, movies, Internet resources) pertaining to the "Law of Attraction". The most palatable means of selling material to a society that demands "Something for Nothing" (i.e. entitlement) is through the philosophy espousing "Something for Nothing". It just won't sell, or sell as much, if a potential customer has to work for their desired goal. Visualize it, release it to the Universe (the One, the All, Universal Intelligence, or whatever) and it will manifest itself ... no further effort required.

The belief appears to be "I am entitled to it, I shouldn't have to work for it". I believe this is why so many are frustrated / disappointed / disillusioned with the "Law of Attraction". It does require effort, it does require work and, most of all, it does require you to give something in order to achieve your desired goal.

What are the easiest plants to grow in your flower or vegetable garden - domesticated plants or weeds? It requires continual action (effort) to keep your garden free of weeds. The animals you see everywhere about you (except in a zoo or game farm), are they expending effort (energy) to survive? (As an aside: how many times it's body weight does a swallow have to eat in insects daily to survive)? Is there any natural example in the plant or animal kingdom in which the subject does not have to expend effort (energy) merely to survive (and we are not even talking about achieving goals or desired outcomes)?

What is it about mankind that makes us believe we, as a species, are not subject to the same laws to achieve our goals? On the simplest level, we need to expend effort (energy) in order to survive, even if it is just to go to the Grocery store for our daily needs. Give some thought to the work force underlying the distribution network required to supply us with our minimal needs required on a daily basis (read the chapter on "Organized Planning" in Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich")? For example, a single refinery in Edmonton, Alberta was temporarily shut down recently and the downstream result has been a fuel shortage throughout western Canada as the other refineries struggle to meet the summer vacation demand.

Goals (Desired Outcomes)

I am stymied by the pervasive belief attached, by some, to the "Law of Attraction" suggesting that people can sit down at their breakfast table, visualize $1 million dollars, release it to the Universe (or whatever), then go back to the morning paper, comfortable in the knowledge that their desired outcome is, even then, racing toward them ... with no further effort required. This is only the case for the 1 in 200 million who bought the correct lottery number for that week.

The Law of Attraction is firmly and, unfortunately for some, irrevocably rooted in a requirement for effort in support of realizing your goals (dreams). The qualifier is that the work needs to be directed toward receipt of your goal.

If you desire $1 million, what are you prepared to give for it? You may only be prepared to invest $1 for the lottery ticket, trusting to luck.

"Luck is Preparedness Meeting Opportunity" - Earl Nightingale (Lead the Field)

Implicitly stated in the above quote is the requirement for work, resulting in "Preparedness". You must undertake preparatory work in order to receive your desired outcome, in order to prepare yourself for when opportunity presents itself.

For example, if you wish to make your millions through a passive on-line web-site, surely it will require work to develop your product, learn the necessary marketing strategies and build your web-site. Perhaps you are going to buy a web-site or have someone else build it for you. Therefore, you will probably need to work for the money with which to pay for these services.

Napoleon Hill interviewed many of the most wealthy Industrialists, Businessmen, Inventors in the early 20th century and categorized their character traits leading to their sucess. In neither "Think and Grow Rich" nor "Law of Success" does he state that one need only sit back and wait for success to fall upon you.

Examine the work ethis oc today's successful to determine if any of them have worked for their success. Bill Gates? Donald Trump? Michael Jackson? U2? Aerosmith? Have they not given something in return for their success? Can you honestly expect to do otherwise?

I believe the critical aspect to the "Law of Attraction" is the extent to which you must work for your desired outcome. Most of the working world works hard at getting ahead, however, they are unaware of, or do not utilize, the power of the "Law of Attraction". Utilization of the Law of Attraction allows you to leverage your work effort, allowing you to do less work toward your Desired Outcome than without the law.

Summary of the process underlying the Law of Attraction

1. Visualize your objective (Desired Outcome) in as much detail as you can. Write it down, commit it to paper, put together a Vision Board or, better yet, a Mind Movie. Have a tangible record of your objective (Napoleon Hill's "Definite Chief Aim"). Associate as much emotion (a Burning Desire) with this goal as you can. Live it, breathe it, expect it.

2. Take the appropriate action to receive it. Be consciously aware of any, and all, opportunities to take you closer to your goal. Perhaps it is through corporate advancement (with associated benefits) or a lateral move to another company. Perhaps it is only the intuitive feeling that you need to buy a lottery ticket for the next draw.

However, make no mistake, there is action required in order to achieve your dreams. Take a very close look at those who claim otherwise and you will, in most (if not all) cases, find they have put in effort (and successfully leveraged others efforts) to achieve their goals.

Conclusion

Visualize, then take appropriate action to realize your dreams.

I believe society needs to change its collective mind set. I don't believe we are entitled to anything we have not earned. We can, however, leverage our work effort, and dramatically leverage it, through application of the Law of Attraction so as to legitimately earn our desired outcomes, our objectives, our goals.

Thoughtful and consistent application of the Law of Attraction, the full underlying process of "Visualization", followed by appropriate "Action", is what separates those who work hard and those who work, seemingly effortlessly, to achieve their goals.