The Good Life = Embracing Hard Work!
Let's delve deep into the significance of hard work and the commitment to showing up. Recent shifts in the housing market and the broader workforce have illuminated a prevailing question: what defines a good life? Is it an easy ride or a journey paved with challenges?
Show Up … Show Up Ready
Drawing from personal experiences — from early days farming to getting a bachelor’s degree, there is an undervalued truth in our culture today. It has been consistently beaten down over the preceding decades and the truth is there's immense power in showing up and doing the hard work. Furthermore, the dedication to showing up ready is life changing. Life's essence isn't just in participation, but in giving it your all, leaving no room for regret. Every day, we're presented with choices. These decisions, whether to face challenges head-on or sidestep them, shape the trajectory of our lives.
The real key to success, often hidden in plain sight, is the realization that it's through life's trials and tribulations that we truly grow. While many may shirk away from difficulties, embracing them is the very well-kept secret sauce to a fulfilling life. So, are you ready to show up and give it your best or are you only looking to have an easy life?
A Gym Truth
Imagine hitting the gym. Why do muscles grow? Because you challenge them, pushing beyond your limits, either to the point of failure or by lifting more than you did the previous day. There’s a light-hearted saying among gym enthusiasts: "The reason workouts are tough? Weights are heavy. And they're heavy because we aim to lift more than we did yesterday." This isn’t just about physical fitness. It’s a life lesson.
Like building muscle, life demands constant evolution. At work or in daily challenges, if we settle for doing the bare minimum, we stagnate. Just as in the gym, progress in life requires us to consistently outdo our past performances, to push our boundaries, and to embrace the weight of our challenges head-on. If we take the easy route and simply coast by, we deny ourselves the chance to grow, to strengthen, and to reach our fullest potential.
In essence, the true weight of growth isn’t measured in pounds or kilograms. It’s measured in the efforts we put into surpassing ourselves every day, in the gym and in life. So, next time you find a task daunting or a challenge overwhelming, remember the gym analogy. Embrace the weight, push past your limits, and evolve into a stronger version of yourself.
Success Is Making a Genuine Impact
In today's world, striving for success demands effort. Gone are the days when the straightforward path was to secure a college degree, assuring a comfortable life without the need for intense physical labor. This mindset has, unfortunately, downplayed the importance of physical jobs, even though they are in abundance and offer substantial financial rewards. As a result, society has started to underestimate these roles.
Compounding this is the noticeable decline in our education system's standards. Astonishingly, the average college degree today might not match the quality of an eighth-grade education from the 1940s or 50s. This has resulted in a misaligned labor force: young individuals investing between $50,000 to $200,000 in education, only to find there's no job waiting for them upon graduation.
It's a troubling scenario, underscoring the urgent need to recalibrate our values and perceptions. We want to emphasize how crucial it is to be a meaningful contributor to society, irrespective of the nature of the job. Success isn’t about doing the least amount of work but about making a genuine impact. So, let's value every role and every effort made, when you see someone put in a genuine effort/contribution, let them know with praise or a cheer!
Never Knowing the Unparalleled Joy Of Achievement
Years ago, around 2009 or 2010, I had an enlightening experience while showing a house. The customer looking at the home was a mother and her young adult daughter. The mother, in her 40s or early 50s, used a cane due to a disability. She was on a quest, not only for a home, that her disability check would not allow her to afford. The entire discussion as we walked through the home was about getting her daughter on disability as well. The mother explained that in 2008 the disability rolls had opened up but had filled so quickly that it was now hard to qualify.
The daughter, just about 20, seemed physically able to me. However, the conversation revolved around her various physical and psychological conditions. The mother went on and on about how despite her healthy appearance, her emotional and psychological struggles prevented her from maintaining regular employment. Consequently, her mother aimed to secure her a disability check.
Witnessing this, a haunting thought struck me: If this young woman was placed on disability at such an early age, she might never know the unparalleled joy of achieving something on her own. The path of least resistance may bring short-term comfort, but at what long-term cost?
Euphoria Of Embracing Hard Work
There's an exhilarating euphoria we often feel when we exert effort, be it in our job or during a gym session. This isn't just about the physical or mental work, but the courage to face immense challenges, sometimes even risking it all What we gain from such daring endeavors is a sense of accomplishment, making every moment of our lives richer.
Unfortunately, many shy away from work due to the fear of failure. They choose inactivity over the potential risk. However, embracing work and its challenges can be life's most rewarding experience. Opting out leads to missed opportunities and, in my opinion, a life less lived.
Hard work and resilience are not just pathways to success, but they are also the heartbeat of a fulfilling life. Remember, every successful individual has faced failures. What sets them apart is their ability to move from one failure to another with unwavering positivity.
Go forth and choose hard work and keep maintaining a positive attitude amidst failures. Every achievement usually comes after multiple setbacks. Hence, it's crucial to understand that persistence, a positive mindset, and embracing failures are foundational to truly valuing and benefiting from work.
Thanks for reading our blog.
– Joshua Dudgeon
