By: Natasha Archary
Life isn’t fair, we know this much and everyone doesn’t have the same opportunities. It’s the age old question of an unfair advantage or earned privilege and whether you just can’t seem to catch a break.
The competitive edge to succeed in life may sometimes mean systemic disadvantages keeps some people from achieving the same heights of wealth, longevity and overall privilege than others.
There’s always going to be a gap between high income earners versus minimum wage workers for example. A lack of education or educational opportunities to help a lower income bracket earner comes into play.
The adage that the rich get richer while the poor remain living hand to mouth applies. Rich people are exposed to more opportunities to further grow and acquire wealth whilst the poor are kept in a stagnant cycle of poverty.
It’s not just wealth or success however, as many feel attractive people get ahead in the corporate space quicker than those who are lacking physically.
Height, weight, beauty, clear skin may all count towards a person’s ability to attract a partner. The unfair advantage or earned privilege discussion is one that Andy Maqondwana got into on Feel Good.
However you choose to frame it, ultimately it can feel like some people get ahead in life with little to no effort, while you’re left facing insurmountable hurdles.
Does it come down to mindset?
Toxic thoughts and a negative mindset can weigh us down more than we know. It’s easy to lose focus and give in to the negativity and believe the inner voice, eating away at your hopes and dreams.
According to Cognitive Therapy and Research, we tend to dwell more on our negative thoughts than our positive ones. It’s the negative thoughts that make a greater impact on our overall mental health.
A positive mindset could impact on how an individual perceives their current reality. Leveraging what you already have, be it your location, connections or your strengths, can shift your mindset and focus.
This way you’re not blaming everyone and the universe if things don’t go your way.
If hundreds of applicants are vying for the same job as you, preparing mentally for the interview can help you stand out from the crowd.
Moving away from the mindset that only bad things happen to you is not easy. It’s human nature to compare and equate our success based on that of our peers.
In hindsight, we all have unfair advantages, we may just be too caught up in identifying them in those around us to notice our own.
Someone driving the car you want may make you envious of that, but your car could be what someone who has to take public transport is praying for.
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