Teaching The Value Of Effort
“Our reward is in the effort and not in the result. A total effort is a complete victory ”. (Mahatma Gandhi)
In life, nothing is given away, luck does not exist, there is only effort and work. That’s how it is, or at least that’s how it should be. Our society has given birth to the phony dream that by appearing in the media, inventing a character or a strategy, it is possible to become rich and famous in the blink of an eye. In this way, unfortunately, we have lost sight of the value of the effort ; we don’t believe it anymore.
We believe that making a living day-to-day by effort is nonsense, and we continue to dream of winning the lottery, a win based on lies, deception and disrespect. Many aspire to experience that moment of glory, in which to obtain all material fortunes in a single instant. We want everything immediately, to be able to enjoy it as soon as possible; in fact, real big hits are grown slowly over time.
Great men and great women are those who spend their lives locked in a laboratory, in an attempt to make a discovery that can help humanity; they are those bakers who get up before the sun rises to give us bread every day; they are those doctors who choose to cross borders to help others. They are those journalists who risk their lives to offer information on what is happening on the other side of the world; they are those professors who dedicate their whole life to study and donate their knowledge to others; are those mothers who every day take the place of nurses, psychologists, friends or sisters with their children. They are all those people who get up every day and are grateful to have a job and to earn a living with the sweat of their brow. These are the great men and the great women.
Effort is dignity. Effort is trying to do things better every day, with a smile on your face, with the desire to continue fighting to pursue your dream. Effort is being aware of the mistakes made and looking for alternatives, even if we already feel overwhelmed by work. Avoid imitating television puppets; do not teach your children that things are easily obtained, because everything has a price. Teaching them that everything comes with effort is one of the greatest lessons that can be given. Striving is like planting a seed : with the passage of time, you have to water it and take care of it, so that one day it will bear fruit. Effort is a friend of motivation and constancy, not laziness and listlessness.
How to educate for effort?
Effort is not an innate value: parents have to teach it to their children, because, to exercise it, you need training, which consists in creating habits and responsibilities. The value of effort is essential in the formation of a person. When taught, other basic values are also conveyed, including strength, patience, tolerance and generosity. In this way, it is possible to eliminate the false idea that one can achieve everything without doing anything.
How can we transmit the value of effort in a complicated society like ours, in which the opposite idea stands out?
- Don’t let your children find everything ready. Let them take on responsibilities that are balanced with their age. If you teach them to strive in small things, then they will be able to do it even in the great difficulties that life will put them through.
- Teach by example. Sometimes, actions are more important than words.
- Help them set realistic goals.
- Suffering is necessary, do not let your children grow up resting on their laurels. Learning that suffering and frustration are a part of life will make them more emotionally mature.
- Help them overcome impatience.
- Talk to them and give them all the “whys” they need. Sure, they will learn a lot about the value of effort if you guide them with your words.
“Quality is never an accident, it is always the result of an effort of intelligence”. (John Ruskin)
