Hand-Out vs. Hand-Up

                                                      

"Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is."
- Vince Lombardi

  
In my last post, “Thriving in Higher Education”, I mentioned the “Hand-out” and “Hand-up” mentality.  In this post, I will elaborate on this concept to give you a clear understanding between the two.

Hand-Out

The “hand-out” mentality is an individual that want nothing for something. This person always has its “hand-out”, looking for favors or hookups. Now, don’t get me wrong, we all need support to achieve our goals. No one can achieve great things doing it along. I’m not referring to that individual. I’m referring to the student that expects the school to get him or her a job. I’m referring to the employee that expects the company to give him or her a raise, even though he or she has not put in the work to deserve a raise. I’m referring to the individual that complains about their weight, but does nothing about the it. Instead, of a healthy diet and exercise (which is the most effective way to lose weight) they have their “hand-out” looking for the magic pill to melt the pounds away.  

Everybody, wants a free lunch in the free world. Unfortunately, their are NO free lunches in the free world. Stop putting your “hand-out” for everything you want. Instead, start putting your “hand-up” and take ownership and responsibility for your life.  If you are looking for a job, stopping, sitting and waiting by the phone, hoping your cell rings; is good enough to get you beat. Students, stop waiting for the teachers to give you an assignment to start reading the book.

Hand-Up

This mentality is very proactive. When you have a “hand-up” mentality, you take massive ownership regarding your life. With this type of mentality, you are not waiting for the teacher to give you the assignment to read the book. The first day of class, you have already started reading the book. If you are trying to lose weight, you are not waiting for the magic pill. Instead, you are seeking an active lifestyle coupled with a well balance diet. Instead of “gimme this or gimmie that”, you are saying, “pick me for this AND pick me for that”!   If you want extreme results, then you have to take extreme measures. Everyone wants to lose weight, have a great marriage, better relationships, better grades and so on. The is problem that some of those same individuals have their hands-out waiting for something. Again, this is a very bad idea. 

Conversely, ask yourself,  what I’m I doing to solve the problem?  This a proactive method that yields results. You are the master and proud owner of  YOU!!  If you wake up every morning  and you are not comfortable with the person that you see in the mirror, then make the necessary changes, put the responsibility back on yourself. The only person that can ultimately fix your problems are you.   Be empowered and focus to getting the most out of life. Like an elementary classroom, start raising your hand to the teacher (life) and start asking questions. Don’t wait for people to give you opportunities, instead get up and go and get your opportunities.
 
Respectively,

Ron S. Lewis