This I Believe

Work Hard to Play Hard

As a child I was always bigger than the other kids. I hit my growth spurt early and reached my maximum height and weight by the sixth grade. Since I was so much larger than the other kids a blanket of responsibility was placed upon my shoulders to be a shining example of the young man that every kid should grow up to be. My father pushed me to be the best at everything I tried. His slogan to me was always a “Work hard to play hard,” kind of attitude.

I developed an early sense of pride in my achievements. I worked above and beyond the other students and was happy with the results. Through the philosophy of hard work I was placed in a gifted students program by the time I was in third grade. When I reached the sixth grade my physical maturity had developed enough to where I could help my father. He ran a painting and drywall business that was self owned and operated. By being trusted by my father to help him with is business, when he valued most the satisfaction of his customers, I made strides to develop responsibility and a good work ethic. After school, I would go with my father to sweat and bleed to do a good job and make sure the work I did was all about quality.

When I was old enough, I got involved with full contact football. I carried my work ethic from my job with my father to the practice field. This is really where the slogan, “Work hard to play hard,” became a stable in my life. I busted my ass in practice and I ran myself dry until I could hardly breathe anymore, but after practice was over, you couldn’t find a happier kid in the world. I knew that the advancements I made on the practice field would really take root and advance my playing ability when it became game time. All of the hard work paid off in the end when my coach placed me on first team both offense and defense. I was able to play all the quarters, every snap, which is what I wanted from the start. Once again, my hard work had rewarded me in the best way possible.

Throughout my life many obstacles have been placed in my path. The work ethic bestowed upon me by my father has helped me to work through them. Through constant chipping away at the obstacles I want to overcome, I have broken down each barrier in my way. I have come to realize that once the things you don’t want to do are taken care of, you can focus on the tasks that make you happy. When you have goals in mind for the future, you need to work hard, get them done, and then you can reap the rewards for a lifetime of hard work.