Day 106, April 16

We all know them: the people who take shortcuts through life. There is the student who cheats his way through high school and college. (Do you really want a doctor to operate on you who cheated his way through medical school?) There is the writer, desperate for success, who plagarizes another writer's work. There is the job-seeker who lies on his resume. Each of these people sees a shortcut and takes it, rationalizing that he or she is entitled. Then there are the people who do the hard work, the heavy lifting, and make the sacrifices necessary to achieve their goals. I mentored an unpublished writer for ten years. She was determined to finish a book and then sell it. She put in the hours and work required to sell not one book but two in a month's period. A friend determined to become a music therapist. She put in long hours of attending class and studying to make her dream come true. Now she touches the lives of many with her talent and skill. In the end, those individuals who take shortcuts will likely find that their obsession to succeed has cost them everything. And those who took the long and slow road will find that their patience, honesty, and hard work has reaped eternal rewards. So, for today, I am grateful for people who refuse to take shortcuts.