April 27, 2023 Darron Rowley

Something for Nothing

Hey,

Had a quick thought I wanted to share with you today.

It is a quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson, it says:

The worst day in a man’s life is when he sits down and begins thinking about how he can get something for nothing.

This quote is profound and powerful. It also runs contrary to the untruth the world is constantly trying to spread.

Why is wanting something for nothing so dangerous?

There are a lot of reasons why this quote is true, but the one that stands out to me is the importance of progress.

Think of the hardest thing you have gone through or accomplished in your lifetime. What did that process do for you as an individual?

The growth that comes as we progress is powerful. It is part of who we are. It cannot be taken from us.

Money, health, professions, etc. all of these things are eventually lost when we die, but not who we have become. It is one of the few things we will take with us.

If we want “things” without the work of earning it, we will lose the opportunity to grow into stronger individuals – and even worse, we will likely decline from where we currently are.