Hard work is exposure

First post, here it goes. Let me be cliche and talk about something we've all heard about before: hard work.

Hard work is a highly popular answer to the question, 'What leads to success?', and its variations. And indeed it should be. Without working hard and without pushing ourselves, we cannot grow and develop our skills, understanding, and awareness of whatever it is we are trying to achieve.

That said, hard work is rarely perceived as a 'nice thing'; in fact, hard work is often seen as being brutal, and it is certainly seen that way by me at times. Furthermore, hard work definitely requires sacrificing some of our deepest pleasures in return for a greater gain in the long-term. That's indisputable; it's simple economics.

But hard work also serves a valuable purpose: it gives us exposure to great ideas, great people, and great communities. What the heck does 'exposure' mean? Put simply, exposure refers to a situation in which you receive the privilege to experience an opportunity for development, either for yourself, or for other people, or both.

Let me give an example. One of my favourite role models is Michael Bloomberg, a former mayor of New York City. In a YouTube video (the link is at the end of this post), he cited hard work as a key contributor to his success.

Mike explained how, during his time at Saloman Brothers, he would be the first in at the office in the morning and the last to leave in the evening (or early morning of the next day). This type of hard work exposed Mike to a fantastic opportunity: a chance to form a close relationship with one of the Managing Directors at SB, William Saloman, because he would be the next person in the office after Mike. The two would discuss current affairs, activity in the stock market, and even Mike's future at the firm.

Now, it is quite clear that a young analyst like Mike would not have had the opportunity to talk with a MD at any other time of the day, but the fact that he, of all employees, got in early, meant that he had such an opportunity. Mike flourished at Saloman Brothers, though he got fired, but later became a billionaire and a successful mayor.

The point is that hard work is like a magnet that attracts wonderful things towards us, which only serves to help us achieve our greatest desires. Viewed from this perspective, hard work becomes less of a brutality, and more of an exciting adventure with high dividends for the participant.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OToYQaUPWcA