work hard it'll pay off

Yes, we all get lucky now and then and something wonderful falls into our laps and that’s terrific. However, as a general rule, “wishing and hoping” is a Lousy Life Plan. Truth is, there is a price to be paid for most everything worthwhile in life and we kid ourselves if we think otherwise. You can pay the “price” of meaningful effort, personal and professional enrichment now or you can pay the price later of a life of regrets or unfulfilled potential (and if that is what you want, fine by me, just don’t envy those who have done their homework or ask for a handout; reference Matthew 25: 1-13 and the Parable of the Oil and the Bridal Lamps).

While there is no such thing as a free lunch (TINSTAAFL), we do have some choices and one of them is how to frame things, how to interpret them, what our world view will be. I choose to frame many efforts, many things, not as a cost or price but rather as an INVESTMENT in the future, which if wisely made and diligently tended will pay rich dividends. I find the “investment” framing much more empowering; I also know that slow and steady usually wins the race i.e. I’ve found that small daily efforts are easy to make part of my routine and they add up powerfully. In college, I dutifully attended EVERY class, took notes, asked questions, and read EVERY assigned chapter; when time came for exams, my slow steady efforts paid mighty dividends, especially in comparison to those who were lackadaisical about attendance and tried to cram a semester’s worth of learning into a few days.

Closing Quotes:

“Recently I ran into a guy I played a round of golf with years ago who said to me ‘haven’t seen you at the club lately’. I told him, ’I haven’t seen you at the bank.’ What’s funny about this exchange is this guy has been struggling with his finances for years but continues to work on his golf game. I was making a point — I’m working my ass off and because of that I’m getting my financial house in order. Prior to 2008, I was playing golf 3x a week. I had gotten distracted and entitled, had started to rest on my laurels and put my family at risk. I decided to master my work and my money and if my golf game or social status suffer, so be it. It’s all right if you sacrifice fun today for freedom tomorrow.” – Grant Cardone

“For every disciplined effort there is a multiple reward.” – Jim Rohn, 1930-2009

As always, I share what I most want/need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier