The Paradox of Hard Work

A lot of people have a very misplaced idea about the word “hard work”.

It has been repeated time and time again that to succeed, you need to work hard.

Every successful person agrees that they did not get where they are without hard work.

So people think they need to push themselves to work hard (even when they don’t feel like it).

And since hard work feels so hard to do, they convince themselves that the success is not worth it.

That’s when people settle for less. The lower their goals and dreams. Because the price to achieve that dream feels too high.

They don’t work hard enough, long enough, because they don’t think they can push themselves.

But…

I don’t push myself.

I don’t know of any successful person that pushes himself/herself.

The decision to work hard and succeed doesn’t start with hard work.

It comes from some other place.

It comes from dreaming big.

It comes from being inspired by your own dreams.

And then you realize that you have a chance that making that dream come true.

When you realize that there is a possibility, it is very difficult to be lethargic.

It is very difficult not to work hard.

You are tired. You are sleepy. But your dreams and future possibilities are there in your system like a drug.

It doesn’t let you… not work hard.

Not working hard is the hardest work I do. Way harder than hard work itself.

I am not pushing myself.

I am letting myself be pulled.

That’s why most people don’t dream big.

It’s intimidating.

Desire is the source of all pain.

Once you desire, you will not be happy until that desire is satisfied.

Be careful what you wish for, you might end up getting it.

But you might not like the journey into getting it.

Dreaming big is not easy.

Dreaming big is a deal with the devil.

You trade your peace at this moment for future success and you get pulled into that vortex.

And you don’t rest until that dream is achieved.

Maybe one day I will achieve all my dreams.

My happiness lies in progressively going towards it.

Maybe one day I will realize that I should have not worked so hard.

Or maybe I will think that I should have just chilled all the time, not have made a deal like this with myself.

Maybe. Or maybe not.

But what I cannot live with is…

Settling for less.

I just cannot sell myself on the idea of mediocrity.

I might be a great salesman, but I cannot sell myself on the idea of settling for less.