Do we value what we struggle for?
The more effort put into acquiring a goal or something materialistic holds greater value than something obtained so easily. We value what we struggle for because we put our mind, body, soul, and everything we have into acquiring it, whereas we don’t put the same effort for something we don’t value with the same amount of importance.
Walking into a doctor’s office, one of the many frames that hang on the wall is his proof of his doctorate degree in a lavish gold frame. Next to the doctorate degree hung another more dull frame containing a certificate for winning a local golf game. The doctorate degree held more value than the other certificates, because it represented that he had struggled through college by staying up countless nights studying just to achieve his degree. Whereas the golf certificate held a lesser value, because he didn’t have to struggle as much to acquire it. Just as a doctorate degree is significant to a doctor, the trophies and medals are significant to a swimmer.
Any athlete values his/her medals or trophies because they practiced and practiced hard to win them. Michael Phelps, American Olympian swimmer, practiced more than once a day to achieve his eight gold medals in the 2008 summer Olympics. All he did for months was eat, sleep, swim, eat, sleep and swim over and over again. His practice, hard work, and struggle paid off when he won all eight medals. The medals are worth more to him than any other because he put more effort into this one. Without struggle then there is no value.
In essence the more effort put in to achieve something the more value it holds. If we didn’t work hard or practiced enough and had still achieved what we wanted then it won’t hold value to our heart. Just like the ever day cliché say: “No pain, no gain.”