The Value of Hard Work

Why I Love Hard Work

Hard work is one of the most important skills you can learn in life. No matter what you’re doing — whether it’s working in a kitchen, digging a ditch, cleaning up a movie theater, or apprenticing as an electrician — the ability to lean into hard work is what sets you apart.

As a teenager, I was lazy. My dad had to peel me off the couch to help with chores. My grandma had me build a fence for her garden, and I remember coming inside for so many “water breaks” that I’m embarrased now looking back. Even the jobs I had as a teenager, I probably gave 17% of the effort I should have.

Hard work didn’t come naturally. It was something I had to cultivate. And I’m grateful for that. Because learning what hard work actually is has shaped everything I’ve done since.

The Paradox

We’ve all heard the saying: “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

But the paradox is this: if you want the opportunity to have that kind of life, it’s going to take more hard work than anything else. Loving your work doesn’t mean you escape the grind — it means you embrace it as the path.

Learning the Lesson

I’ve worked hard in everything I’ve done in my adult life — the military, sales, carpentry. And in each, I accomplished what I set out to accomplish.

But it never felt right. The military tied my sweat to global politics I didn’t believe in for an uninspiring chain of leadership. I worked my butt off in sales, but hated feeling like I was using my genuine desire to connect with people to sell them extended warranties. I learned the trade of carpentry, earned the respect of other carpenters, only to realize I didn’t want to spend my life building high-rises for Jeff Bezos.

And yet — I wouldn’t trade those seasons. Because in all of them, I was learning the practice of hard work. Building the muscle. Training my brain and my body to show up, to grind, to persist. That discipline is what brought me here.

My Dream

Now I know where I want to point my hard work. Into my creative expression. Into the physical manifestations of my artistic vision — carpentry, paintings, photography, music, stickers. Into building something that reflects who I am, provides a good living for my family, and puts something honest out into the world.

Hard work isn’t wasted, even when it’s misdirected. But it’s only truly valuable when it’s aimed at the right thing.

The Closer You Get

The sooner you decide to take hard work seriously — to lock in, focus, and keep pushing — the closer you get to the place where it doesn’t feel like work at all.

That’s the sweet spot. The freedom to live off what you love, built on the foundation of discipline and hard work.

Takeaway

So here’s the truth I’ve landed on:

Hard work is the bridge between passion and reality.

Listen to your heart. Follow your dreams. Work hard.