Life happens and it happens to us all. I don’t care if you’re in the top 1% earners of the world or if you’re considered to be well below the poverty line. Young or old, woman or man, you just can’t escape that life is going to throw you a curve ball when you least expect.Â
Just because those who have acquired financial wealth or stability have connections and access to things, people, and places that those who live below the poverty line may not, doesn’t mean that they get a complete pass on the advertises and challenges that life brings.
And access is something that we all need or want at some point in our lives. Access is the green light that let’s know that things are going as we want them to. So why don’t we all have access to the things we wish to have? While some may say because our ability to exposure is not equal, may I suggest that’s only part of the issue.
Because sometimes even when we have exposure to better, we don’t always pursue or do better. It’s our mindset. That’s right. Our mindset to be content with bare minimum, comfort zones, and handouts.
And I’ll give you an example that is recent in the news, the government in the U.S. decided to give the recipients of SNAP known as supplemental nutritional assistance program up to an additional $1200.00 monthly and some will receive more.
Now, this will be happening at least until August. As according to the Texas Tribune, the application process stays open until August 13, 2021.
And before you say well, they need it; I’m not here to debate who needs what, I’m only telling you the fact that there are some of the recipients that are over the moon, some of them are bragging about how good it is, and some are ready to be wasteful with the monetary resource that is meant to help them.
And the issue with all three of these perspectives is the fact that the money they’re spending is not money they made or rightfully inherited. No one had to give it to them, the government simply saw fit to give them the additional money because they felt as though without it, they couldn’t provide for themselves and their families.
Like it or not, agree or not, no government wants to have to take care of their citizens. They would much rather their citizens be able to provide for themselves. As I’m sure you know that’s why top officials speak about the strength of the economy, jobs, and job growth.
Trust me, if government officials and economists didn’t see these as important, they would not be metrics that they use to determine the stability of the country. So, I repeat, it is some of the recipients’ mindsets about the resource that’s the issue, not that they need help.
You see when you have a mindset such as these or even like them, it says I know the position that I’m in and I’m content and happy to have someone else provide for me. And when you look at the qualifications for the program it’s clear to see that if you do qualify it really isn’t something that you would think people would celebrate or be excited to continue to qualify for, but sadly some people do.
And it’s sad because officials and administers of the program designed it specifically for those in poverty. If you can look beyond the assistance and see that celebrating being a SNAP recipient says the government believes I need assistance to take care of me and or my family, then you should see that it’s a program that shouldn’t make you happy to continue to be able to qualify for year after year.
As that means you have yet to provide a way to not need a handout. I know that may hurt some, and even offend some. Still, it is what it is, it’s the government giving citizens a hand out, to help them due to the lack of them being able to help themselves.
And I had to tell my own relative this. As she couldn’t believe this was actually happening and that the government didn’t have anything in place for the working class that also is struggling to provide and actually lost their jobs, or had their hours reduced due to COVID19. I had to tell her, listen, I know it looks like they have cause to celebrate and brag, but the truth is they don’t see what the government has really said.
Because if someone walked up to them on the street and said I know that you can’t provide for you and your family, here, I’m going to help you out by giving you money, most of them would feel offended and disrespected. They would hear someone telling them that they don’t have the ability to feed themself or their children. Yet, every month, some, for most of their lives, don’t see that’s what the government is saying to them. Now, don’t get me wrong, some of them are actually okay with this, as they think they’re winning.
But I’m telling you they’re not because when you are not in the position to take care of yourself that’s not something you should celebrate and brag about, especially if you say you want to aspire to do and have more.
I’m telling you; it shouldn’t make you excited, feel good, or be over the moon when you’re depending on someone else to come through for you and or your children to have a basic life necessity like food. And I’m telling you this, because I had to tell it to my own relative, so she could shift her perspective from being disappointed and upset that she doesn’t qualify.
So, today, if you, like my relative have felt left out so to speak that the government didn’t come through for you, know this, you came through for yourself, and that – that my friend is winning. Yes, there are times when we all need assistance in some way, shape, or form and there’s no shame in that – that’s called life. Still, when YOU can make it happen for you, without someone else giving you a handout, then you’re self-sufficient.
And please know, though I focused on SNAP for this blog post that doesn’t mean that’s the only handout that people get in life. I intentionally focused on one topic for uniformity and consistency for reading purposes, because the truth is there are too many to name, and they come in different forms.
So, hear me loud and clear, the next time you hear someone bragging or expressing their excitement about someone else giving them a handout, whatever it is, don’t let that make you feel left out, or forsaken. Be proud to be in a position where you don’t need a handout and grateful to have a mindset that doesn’t feel entitled or desires to want or be content with handouts, especially consistently.
It’s one thing to find yourself in a tough spot in need of help and quite another to not want to help yourself and be content with letting others take care of you.” ~Coach Sam
Additional Related Reading Resources:
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/21/texas-p-ebt/
~EXALTED ROYALTY~A C. E. SAM COMPANY
