Lebron James: Nothing Is Given. Everything Is Earned.

 

Quoting purported NBA GOAT Lebron James, NOTHING IS GIVEN.  EVERYTHING IS EARNED.  SERIOUSLY.  NOTE:  I am crediting Lebron James for this one-liner because he has filed his I.P. rights with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  Regardless, you might wonder, WHY is this our thread today?  Blame it on all those freebies in life with almost every enterprise peddling and offering all forms and shapes of 'CARROTS' to entice people and get their attention, for them to succumb to their hitherto subtle intentions.  Everywhere we will hear various tricks to inveigle and lure people for various subtle agenda.  LIKE offering a SIGNUP BONUS for a job offer.  LIKE eGC's if you SIGNUP for a credit card offering.  LIKE 50% off the price of the 3rd piece of a product [if you bought 2 previous pieces at its full price].  LIKE bank car loan offerings highlighting that the first amortization payment will take effect 90 days later. WOW, one too many 'CARROTS' BUT can we agree that EVERYTHING IS EARNED in life???

All these tricks to lure us [triggered by various hidden agenda], we got to realize that at the end of the day, EVERYTHING IS EARNED, nothing AS IN nothing is really free in life.  NOT the job promotion you received.  NOT your salary adjustment.  NOT the rewards points you're redeeming for your grocery OR gasoline expenses.  On the other hand, some of life's most valuable achievements can only be earned through intense effort, perseverance and tons and tons of sacrifices.  This concept, often encapsulated in the phrase 'BLOOD & SWEAT' speaks to that deep-seated human understanding that true accomplishment often comes at a significant personal cost.  BTW, 'BLOOD & SWEAT' should NOT be taken literally BUT instead, this vivid metaphor represents the extreme effort, dedication and often discomfort required to achieve certain goals💥💥💥

To EARN things, this is all about pushing beyond our comfort zones, facing our fears, and persisting even in the face of all kinds of adversity.  We DON'T need to be hard pressed to find tons and tons of role models and the field of competive sports is one of the most relatable sources of success stories.  Through the years, African runners have lorded it over the even playing field.  BUT WHAT's in their bag of tricks?  They confide that their training programs even span more than a decade of high volume trainings, high altitude exposures, high intensity training regimen, incorporating long runs with hill repeats, and trainings on all kinds of terrains, WHICH in Africa they termed as soft and dirt roads.  By the time they capture the gold medal in the Olympics, that is NOT just a result of their talent BUT of years of gruelling training, strict diets, early morning rises and even sacrificed social lives💚💛💜

If we break out the BLOOD & SWEAT, the BLOOD might represent the physical toll on their bodies, the injuries they endured and even the limits pushed way and beyond.  WHILE the SWEAT symbolizes those countless hours of practice, their mental fortitude required to keep them going WHEN any of their muscles would ache, and that sheer determination to improve day after day after day.  Oh yes, I always believed that there is a reason WHY achievements gained through intense effort are often more satisfying than those that come easily, sometimes 'served on a silver platter' as psychologically, we tend to value things more WHEN we've had to work hard for them✅✅✅

Our takeaway:  Psychologists have coined this as that EFFORT JUSTIFICATION which suggests that the more effort we put into something, the more we come to value it.  Moreover, that process of working hard towards a goal builds character, resilience, and even develop skills that often times extend far and way beyond the very achievement itself.  The discipline learned in training for marathons for one, can translate into greater focus.  YES dude, to quote the GOAT, NOTHING IS GIVEN.  EVERYTHING IS EARNED😀😀😀