The pine stays green in winter... wisdom in hardship. - Norman Douglas
Every human being out there in the world thinks that they're all hardworking people.
We've all got our different set of challenges handed out to us. Now, whether you want to diligently take care of those tasks and challenges, is totally up to you. And it's good to go out there and take up new challenges, a few risks, and set higher goals.
But...
Don't bite off more than you can chew.
Whether it's a simple task like taking out the trash and doing the dishes, drawing lines and working with numbers as an accountant while sitting behind a desk, or a gardening job where the gardener is using his physical strength, years of skill, and mental blueprint too; for a minimum of 8 to 10 hours a day.
Who's working harder?
How we look at it, and the answers we have, it's all quite subjective I'd say.
A lazy person will think that they've had a rough day after taking care of a few errands and then having to come home to just do the chores. That is how they're built, and it's considered hard work according to their capabilities, mindset, and goals. The average Joe with a job thinks that taking the bus or metro to the office every day and then sitting at a desk for 8 hours behind a screen is the "real" kind of hard work.
Whereas a bricklayer will be out in the morning, and will probably walk a few kilometers or so to then carry and lay bricks for 8 hours straight. Of course, with a chance of being told to do overtime for pennies; especially in this region.
And that's just a profession. Having a family is another task you must to take care of.
ᴵᵐᵃᵍᵉˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵒᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᶜᵒⁿᵗᵉⁿᵗ ᵃʳᵉ ᵐʸ ᵒʷⁿ ᵘⁿˡᵉˢˢ ᶦᵗ'ˢ ᵐᵉⁿᵗᶦᵒⁿᵉᵈ
I'm not saying that people should work harder, or that I'm the epitome and ambassador of hard work. I have my lazy days too, I procrastinate, and I'm always not as efficient. Yet, I always get my work on time, and I'm always trying to do better.
Now, what really blows my fuse is when someone comes and compares their life choices to mine. How their life is so much rougher and tougher than mine. Even though I know for a fact, that it's their poor life and financial choices that have brought them here. And I'm not interested in competing in the rat race, nor am I interested in seeing who's ahead and who's behind. I've always believed in putting in the work and being rewarded justly.
I just want what I've earned, nothing more.
Now, a winning lottery ticket would be nice too, but I'm not betting my life savings on it...
I know very few people who I categorized as "honest liars". They're not dishonest people, and they're not looking to get away with murder, but their lies are just so plain and obvious.
In the era of modern technology and social media, lies are easy to catch. I'm not talking about the use of AI or some advanced device to track one's activities, it doesn't require that much work these days. Because people themselves will post what they're up to onto the net for everyone to see. Our lives are more public than ever, and sadly, most of us like it that way.
Thus, it's quite easy to catch a liar, especially a lazy one.
Now, I get it, you're slacking on work, can't meet deadlines, and can't even do the bare minimum sometimes. We all have our struggles, we are flawed in different ways and aspects, but the least you can do is be honest. Because if you're honest, the people who are understanding will understand, and those who can't see past their own issues and their lives, will never understand, and we're better off not having such people in our lives. Yet, there's a limit to being compassionate and understanding.
If you're gonna be late to the office for 5 days in a row, then don't expect compassion or empathy. Instead, put in an hour extra at the office for the next few days, or just solve a problem that isn't your headache, but you choose to participate anyway, just to redeem yourself.
At the end of the day, honest and hard-working people get a good night's sleep. They may not have the most money in their pockets, but such people are not willing to put their reputation, sanity, and integrity up for sale.
There also is the matter of habit. We are our habits, our habits make us, or break us...
So, it's better not to have a habit of lying, no matter how minuscule the matter is. Because these small lies you become habituated to will certainly build-up, and then one day you'll turn into a big fat liar, and you won't even know it...
“To be confident and not delusional, is a real skill” - KATT
Be confident, but don't push it to the levels of overconfidence by being delusional and a liar...