You Earn What You Deserve - Grasshopper

Even though "deserve" has better PR, "earn" will get you more of what you believe you're deserving of.

 

To earn something, you have to do something. To deserve something is expectation often without sweat.

 

"I deserve better treatment," "I deserve a raise," "I deserve a promotion" are statements of entitlement, and in case you haven't gotten the memo yet, we are entitled to nothing.

 

There's good reason the phrase "you must earn respect" has stood the test of time. Too often we get locked into the hallucination of "deserve" and forget to go out and earn.

 

Imagine going over to a wood burning stove and saying, "I deserve heat." If the stove could speak, it would say, "Bring me some wood and a match and I'll give you what you believe you deserve."

 

"Earn" is more solid and dependable than "deserve" can ever be, mainly because it can be measured. One of the great business axioms is "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it." You can't quantify "deserve." "Earn" has a track record you can measure.

 

You won't get what you believe you deserve by sitting and lamenting. That strategy will keep you from owning and you'll be forever renting - the expectation that deserve will get you what you want.

 

If you earnestly want something, deserve has to die or it will constantly stand in the way of the actions necessary for you to earn the future you believe you deserve.

 

All the best,

John

 

P.S. I'll leave you with the opening lyrics to a little known Temptations song called YOU'VE GOT TO EARN IT that signify that action is necessary for earning.

 

"To get stones from a rock, you've got to break it. To get bread from dough, you've got to bake it. To get water from a faucet, you've got to turn it and if you want my love, you've got to earn it."