You are privileged — get over yourself and accept what you have

You are so lucky you’ve got such a well paid job. You are privileged. Why should you expect more? You are so much luckier than so many people.

Have you ever had that conversation in your own head?

How can you even consider having work that you love? It is just the way of the world — sometimes you have to do work that you don’t love. Work that you love is a luxury.

These are discussions that many of us have. I certainly have in the past. I haven’t got rid of them but I understand them better and also how to deal with them.

I have put words into the mouth of my father-in-law as he is from a generation and place where poverty was normal and everyday. He has never said anything judgemental about me getting a job, needing to get over myself or anything similar.

I have been reflecting on this and what really sits behind this internal conversation.

These are not your views — these are views that you have been persuaded of — we could call it cultural conditioning.

As I explored this I realised that these conversations suggest that money is value. By this logic, when you are ‘comfortable’ you are better off than other people. There are many examples where this is obviously not true.

If we take this further then your feelings are not as valuable as money. Literally, we are saying that we are not worth as much as money.