virgin islands scene

It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
-- Ursula K. Le Guin
 

 

Tuesday, October 16, 2001

Being rewarded

Do you ever wish you could skip the effort and go straight to the reward? That’s not going to happen, because without the effort there is no reward. Oh, sure, you might be able to grab a mere token, something that at first will look and feel like a reward. Yet if it is not earned as a result of effort, it will soon turn into nothing more than an empty disappointment.

The person you become in the process of achievement is much more valuable than the achievement itself. The things you work for can rust, fall apart or be taken away. Yet the experience of achievement can never be taken away.

When you can achieve something as a result of your own effort, the real value of that achievement is always with you. You can make use of it over and over again. If the reward is lost, you’ll have what it takes to achieve a bigger and even better one.

The opportunity and ability you have to exert focused, disciplined effort is one of the greatest blessings of life. Make use of it every chance you get, and you’ll fill your life with true, lasting rewards.

— Ralph Marston

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Copyright ©2001 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.