virgin islands scene

Never do things others can do and will do, if there are things others cannot do or will not do.
-- Amelia Earhart
 

 

Friday, January 2, 2015

It is tempting

It is tempting to think you can cheat, and receive more out of life than you give. It’s tempting to think you can shortcut the process of achievement, and create great, meaningful value with little or no effort.

Even the wisest, most sophisticated, experienced achievers can be tempted by the promise of something for nothing. The problem is, that promise is never fulfilled.

Yes, it may seem that you’re able to cheat life for a while. However, whatever you might manage to gain by doing so will ultimately have no value to you.

That’s because the real value of life is in the doing, in the creating, in the work, not merely in the possessing. The real value is in making a difference, and there’s no way you can cheat your way to that.

In fact, giving in to the temptation of something for nothing will actually put more distance between you and the fulfillment you seek. Though the temptation can be highly enticing, it helps to remember that it will always set you back.

What you really want is not to have the trinkets of success, but to have the experience of creating success. Let go of the illusion of something for nothing, get busy, and enjoy working your way steadily there.

— Ralph Marston

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