On Hard Work

I have been raised under the "hard work pays off" school of thought. Back when I was young, there were no Batman toys without good marks at school. It was also important to realize that Batman toys were just the tip of the iceberg. Consistently doing good meant entering a good university, which meant a good job, that translates to $$$. 

Work hard and thou shall be rewarded. I think this is the dogma most Asian kids are raised believing in. As long as you persevere and you put your mind to it, there is nothing under the sun that you cannot achieve.

Yes, hard work pays off - mugging for school, tons of practice in sports or your musical instrument, for your SATs, and your job. I've been used to hard work equals rewards. I have lived it well.

There are somethings though that parents tend to leave out.  There is a fine print to this rule, it does have exceptions - that sometimes hard work does not always mean reap what you sow.  

I remember the day in college where I chose to shift out of the Management Honors course. I knew myself. I knew that no matter the hours spent practicing on Accounting problems, I will never be able to live up to a standard that was expected. I simply was not made for this. It was not who I am. I was better off spending my efforts on the regular course, and do well in that. I did. In shifting out, my hard work matched what was demanded, what I realistically could deliver. Recognizing my own capabilities allowed to make most of my efforts.

I remember my first heartbreak, also the first time that I understood what love really is. Time, material things, and even an entire change of self - I gave everything I could. It was not easy. It demanded for me to be patient. All those was for naught. Hard work can only go so much when it comes to matters of the heart. Even hard work cannot change a love unrequited. Then again, it also entails hard work to pick up the pieces and start anew for a future someone who deserves the love one can give. Even in loss, there is work to be done, even if the only reward is to keep yourself whole again.

There are some things that cannot be changed or influenced by pure diligence, some things that require capability. There are things that are out of our hands. There are times when we are dealt with curve balls, surprises or hiccups. In these occasions, we shouldn't blame ourselves. We shouldn't diminish the value of hard work because of failure. It is failure, loss, lack, that fuels hard work so that we can push boundaries. It is these that teach us where to direct our energy. It is these harsh truths that open our eyes to what we can and cannot do, what we can or cannot change.

In growing up, I learned that hard work is important not because it leads you to that pot of gold. I learned that hard work in itself is the prize. It defines who we are. It makes us so much more than who we are yesterday. It takes us to roads that pave the path for a better tomorrow.