Hard Work: The Only Key, or Just One of Many?

One of the lessons I'm continuously being retold while growing up is regarding hard work and how it tends to pay off. I'm constantly being told to work hard and that if I remain focused and give whatever I lay my heart on my best, I'll eventually succeed in it. Given the fact this constantly rings anywhere I find myself, I can't help but believe it and even run with it with all my heart, both in school, at work, with personal goals, and the like. But along the way I realized something. What I realized doesn't mean I no longer believe hard work pays off; it's just that via that, I've learned that hard work alone isn't always enough to sail through.

Through the years I've worked hard all my life, giving everything I do my best, from working through sleepless nights to never slacking, and yet at the end I never get the results I so much desire. Despite my relentless efforts, I usually find others who do probably little more than I did and yet get the job done or get what they desire. This often makes me feel like either life isn't fair or there's something I'm not doing right. Most times when I see others sail through, I can't help but ask why, even though I can obviously see it's either through the connection they had at their disposal or just being in the right place at the right time.

I can't forget in a hurry one particular project I devoted my all to, both nights and days, and yet nothing was forthcoming. Due to the fact that I knew the potential that lay at the end of that project, I wasn't ready to let it slide, but still there was no progress whatsoever until a friend of my boss noticed my efforts and, through his connections, he recommended me to the right circle, and that's how others noticed me and started giving me a shot that ended up turning the tide in my favor. The truth is that had that person not noticed me and done what he did, I would have remained in the same spot.

And that helps me understand the power of connection. While some might think it's not fair, I can tell you for a fact that that's life for you. People tend to give more consideration to people they know than to unknown individuals, so even though I sometimes feel hurt that I'm more qualified for a job and yet didn't get it, I can't help but recognize that it's the other person's connection that made it possible for them, because aside from being qualified (hardworking), they also have the connection backing to compliment it.

So that experience has helped me understand that hard work isn't the only ingredient to success; you still need others, such as working smart, building meaningful relationships, and positioning yourself in an environment where opportunities tend to surface every now and then, and most importantly, we must be prepared to grab any opportunity that shows forth. In conclusion, all I'm saying is that hard work shouldn't be our main force; instead, it should be one of the many ingredients we put in place to secure success.

All photos are taken and edited on canva.