“No one can get anything unless he earns it. This is an eternal law. . . A man may struggle all his life for riches; he may cheat thousands, but he finds at last that he did not deserve to become rich, and his life becomes a trouble and nuisance for him. . . A fool may buy all the books in the world and they will be in his library; but he will be able to read only those that he deserves to; and this deserving is produced by Karma.”
– Swami Vivekananda
Two factors reveal whether someone deserves the good things that they get in life.
First, how long it stays with them. The man who maliciously accumulates money loses it (and his respect), while the man who earned his wealth through the right means can maintain what he has. He also has the belief that if he loses everything, he has what it takes to rebuild.
The second factor is their state of mind. The schemer is always insecure – he may get promoted or rich, but he’s always scared that someone will expose him or try to take away what he has. But the deserving person is calm; she knows her work will do the talking.
You cannot decide what you should get—that’s entitlement. What you have today, good and bad, is a result of your past karma. If you do the right things today, your future karma will be better. That’s good news, isn’t it? It means your future is in your hands. Work, be patient, and accept the results.