Chapter 363

"If you do the work you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life." ~ Michael Jordan

But we really want it to be the other way around, we are always looking for shortcuts. We are always looking for a way to reduce the amount of effort required. We are steadily looking for a way to increase the reward, to lower our investment and cost in whatever we are pursuing. This is why we all dream of winning the lottery, no effort, seemingly endless reward, the ultimate shortcut.

But notice that I said “dream” not play. I don’t play the lottery. There is a better chance of my getting struck by lightening while sitting here on a clear day writing this, than there is of winning the lottery. Playing and paying for the lottery is just a distraction to keep you from doing the work. It will also keep you poor, in more ways than one. It will keep you poor finically and it will also keep your dreams small and focused on the wrong things. That is its own poverty. Doing the work is its own reward, but that one takes a while to internalize.

The search for shortcuts is a lazy path, at least for me. So I generally now force myself to do the work extra well, read - over do it, rather than let myself fall into the shortcut life. And surprisingly over time, the work itself has become more and more enjoyable and that is its own reward. But I wish could have learned these lessons long ago, I could have enjoyed so many more rewards, rather than all this wishing for a shortcut - dissatisfaction.

Do the work!