Are you Enlightened or Entitled?

You know that person who makes sure that their crystals are bathed in moonlight every New Moon and introduces themselves as their sign.  The guru who is always the most zen but is the first one to bite your head off because the second they feel anything negative, it’s your fault.  This person is not the intended audience for this blog post, they won’t even think they need to read it, this one is for us conscious humans who often think to ourselves “am I the asshole?”

Understanding Enlightenment and Entitlement:

At its core, enlightenment is about self-awareness and about finding your inner Zen.  It involves a journey inward to understand yourself, to ask the “why”.  It’s emotional intelligence, which isn’t just being able to name all the feelings, it’s about understanding that you are having feelings and then knowing not to act on them, only to rely on facts.   Sounds easy right?   It’s not.  

Entitlement, on the other hand, is a state of mind where one believes they are inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment. This is a sneaky one, you picture the brat throwing a fit in the corner and forget that it’s also the salon owner who sets goals for their team and never picks up a broom.  

How do I know I’m not the asshole

PAUSE. Just stop.  You won’t stop feeling the feelings, just wait and don’t listen to them right away.  Find the actual truth in any situation.

• Practice Self-Reflection: Regularly assess our actions and motives. Ask yourself, "Am I a hair guru or just fishing for compliments?"
• Cultivate Humility: Recognize that every individual, regardless of their role, contributes value. That not everyone will be the same as you, they will have their own path that they have to be on for them and it’s more important than your path is to them. Just know that and move on.
• Develop Empathy: empathy doesn’t mean what you think it means, it's not about feeling all the feelings, that’s sympathy.  It's about understanding people and where their feelings come from.  It’s about holding space.

Is this hitting a little close to home?  Here’s what you can do:

• Be Curious: Enlightenment is a continuous process. Embrace every opportunity to learn, be it a new styling technique or understanding a client's needs better.
• Practice Gratitude: Acknowledge the contributions of others. A little 'thank you' goes a long way. Try it; it's free and doesn't require an appointment. This isn’t just for people, it's for everything.   Remember, there is a 1 in a million chance that you are here on a rock that is floating in space and space is ever expanding, and no one is asking what it is expanding into.  That’s worth a little appreciation. 

The journey from entitlement to enlightenment in the salon industry is not just about personal growth but also about creating a more harmonious and productive work environment. Living in a world where we can all just be adults, respecting other adults that you work with (and those you don’t) who just clean up after themselves and live knowing there are other people around you who are just doing the same thing.   That’s it.  It can be that simple. 

Written by Jennessa Couture.