We are constantly faced with choices. Every day brings decisions, of doing what is quick and convenient and doing what is right. The common saying that people want "something for nothing" or "lots for very little" is something that we have seen or experienced in our lives. The, “ I want it right now” mentality is running rampant these days. We are in an age where if we don't see results instantly then we discredit the process. The notion of long-term discipline and, slow and steady progress seems to be a thing of the past. Think about the person sitting on a corner asking for some change or the student who didn't do their homework and is looking to cheat off of their peers.
Do you know how much money people around the world spend on gambling every year? If you guessed one hundred billion dollars then you are correct. Since 1980, the incomes of the top 5% higher income families have increased faster than families in the income levels below them while it is safe to say that they didn't earn their wealth through the means of gambling. An estimated 45 million Americans go on a diet each year and spend $33 billion each year on weight loss products yet nearly two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese.
In 2018, Americans lost over $700,000 to Nigerian prince scams and who knows how much to Ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes.
In all of these get rich or lose weight programs, the person involved lost time, money, relationships, and some of them their life, while gaining stress, bad health, humiliation, and possibly upset friends or family members.
I don't like sharing secrets or giving out my keys to success (financial, physical, or spiritual) but I will this time. The true secret of success is hard work spread out over a long period of time. Diligent effort and not wishful thinking is the way to prosperity. In the Navy, to be considered the "Best Qualified", you need to show proven and sustained superior performance which requires performance at a higher level continuously over a period of time.
So I will offer this to you, reject the frantic pursuit of get-rich fantasies or the quick miracle diet and realize that you will not be able to prosper without hard work. Work is really the shorter route to riches. #SPEAK2MYHEART
