I’m never retiring. As long as I can roll out of bed and stay upright for eight hours, I’m manning the battalions of the work front. You see, Mom was meticulous and would tear our bed sheets off the bed, demanding we remake it at the sign of the slightest crease. And Dad was the first business in the city to offer 24-7 service within his industry. So, Dad’s phone rang day and night, often requiring him to go to work at three, four, or five in the morning. Dad got his sleep during daytime TV commercial breaks.
Even more compelling, my older brother was a big dreamer. He dreamed of starting a band, becoming a famous actor, or making it big in business. He included me in his dreams. For instance, he almost had a TV sitcom for which he wanted me to produce the music score. He had funding from the Canadian National Film Board, but the project was never completed. And then, he became the global finance director for a public company, making as much money as a competent psychiatrist earns within a year.
So, my brother conditioned me to dream big, while he and my parents conditioned me to work hard. However, I was stricken with extreme anxiety and chronic illness for nearly a decade, so I could no longer work. During that languishing, I read every book I could find on how to cure myself. Finally, after nearly a decade, I’m back in the race. I aim to earn a quarter of a million annually and achieve enlightenment. I may or may not accomplish this, but it’s the process where all the fun lies.
With that said, here are some key reasons why hard work pays off: In her book Mindset, Carol Dweck says hard work is the solution to success. It’s common sense: effort trumps innate aptitude. That’s because anything can be learned. But talent without action may not manifest the intended heights of achievement.
Hard work helps us overcome failures, and everybody experiences failures. That’s because we are all beautifully flawed. And our shortcomings lead to treasures, for our weaknesses trigger the need for growth—like the need for oxygen. And when that need for change is met with hard work, it’s like a petunia bursting with its first bloom. Even if the end goal fails, the process is golden. That’s because that process has infinite positive implications for future success.
Hard work can make us wealthier, better-looking, healthier, and happier. I can’t recommend strenuous exercise enough. My best photos are all taken when I’ve been exercising hard. And laborious exercise spikes energy. Thanks to hard work, the life force leaving me a year ago is back in full force. Success requires a high level of energy, which exercise gives.
Without hard work, we can show an innate talent. But combine that talent with hard work, and we’re unstoppable. Even without profound talent, hard work can make us successful beyond our dreams. And we’ll go far if we bust and move long after the first sign of resistance.
Some people seem like they are meant to watch the world go by. Or are they? It’s a choice. It’s like someone whose never been encouraged or exposed to hard work. They may not like it. But one commonality exists among people who work hard: they taste the bliss. It’s pushing ourselves so hard in a workout that our bodies flood with endorphins, our senses heighten, and food tastes more delicious by a factor of a thousand. Or it’s stretching ourselves to our limits at our desks daily to gain the euphoria of new skills and a profoundly more affluent lifestyle. Once we’ve tasted the accumulative bliss from hard work, we’ll never aim to settle for less. There is a reason why Olympians, business tycoons, and famous actors work endlessly at their crafts: hard work is a high. And many success stories are about ordinary people who achieve extraordinary results. We all have the potential to transform our lives into dreams–even miracles—by busting and moving.
