Health or Hard Work

I’ve learned a great deal about hard work. Everyone keeps telling everyone else, yes, a dream won’t happen unless you do it. Unless you put 10,000 hours into becoming an expert.

There are quotes, memes, section from books that always told me to “try harder”. I’ve read news about real people spending 18-20 hours a day working. And they had it: the fame, the money, the title. But is it worth it?

Colin Powell once said, “A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.”

So everyone else must do the same (in order to be successful).

However, work is not everything. Yes, I agree we should work hard. I agree that every day when we wake up until we go to sleep, you should have worked on something. But it doesn’t have to be all about your job.

You could have worked on perfecting your speeches in front of people.

You could have worked on your anger issues.

You could have worked on loving yourself and others.

You could have worked on exercising and getting fit.

You could have worked on searching for what you really love.

You could have worked on how to live, to the fullest.

I heard stories of a 22 year old student who didn’t sleep for a week straight to finish his dissertation and then unfortunately, he passed away and missed his own graduation ceremony.

I’ve read from books that people are working their asses off without time to even go to the hospital when they’re sick. At the end of the day, you may sit on mountains of cash without the health to spend it.

So yes, work hard. But also love hard. Play hard. Enjoy life harder.

For a day, you can let go of work for a second and take a walk with your loved ones (including fluffy ones), fill your lungs with fresh air. Look at the sky. It is still blue. The wind is still blowing. The flowers are still blooming.

And you are still living. And that’s your gift. Embrace that.

t.l.