Use What You've Got

In life we all come from our own backgrounds that carry with it our own set of challenges, but it also carries its own set of privileges. I think too often we reject the things that we have access to, which could truly transform our lives, for no good reason.

Let’s say you have a large inheritance from your family but you don’t want to touch the money because you “didn’t earn it”. Or you are a naturally gifted writer but you choose to pursue being a speaker because you think it’s more valuable. Or your Uncle has some connections that could really advance your career, or a project you’re working on, yet you don’t want to ask him for the favor. It sounds silly but it’s true, people are afraid to use what they’ve got.

And I think that fear is generated by the ego. It comes from our need to validate our own worth, so we dismiss opportunities or advantages that we didn’t create for ourselves. But you’re actually doing yourself a disservice, because how would you treat someone else who had family money, or had a gift for writing, or a well-connected Uncle? You’d encourage them to leverage that and squeeze as much value as they can from it! 

It’s not selfish, in fact it’s the opposite because when you use what you’ve got you create more value it can then positively affect others. If those opportunities never come to fruition then that value is lost forever, and the world will not be better off because of it. So use what you’ve got! You have access to it for a reason, make sure you make the most of it.