Hard Work

I'm feeling a little long-winded right now, so buckle your seat belts; this is going to be a long (and hopefully enjoyable for you) ride.

I would like to share with you something that is personal, and yet, I feel is very pertinent to everyone's lives. It was something that was given to me in my patriarchal blessing:

"Remember that these blessings are contingent upon your willingness to work hard and stay close to your Heavenly Father."

These words have come to my mind on several occasions, and with good reason. One of the faults I have is that I love to sleep. I love lounging around, avoiding things that need to get done. I love finding excuses to not do things. Oh the power went out? Sweet, can't do my homework! Oh, my pencil broke? Man, guess I can't write this anymore. I am in constant awe of how lazy I am, especially since I have been thinking about how little formal education matters to me. (Okay for the record, I am not completely against formal education. I do like it. I like learning from teachers and having them help me discover things. However, it is definitely not all it's cracked up to be. I'm in it for the piece of paper. And for the awesome English Department Faculty at BYU-Idaho.) If I ever cross I teacher that I think is boring or not well organized, my attention and dedication is out the window. The classes I get the lowest grades in are always the easiest classes. They are the ones that I forget about the little discussion board post I'm supposed to have online by midnight. They are the ones that I think missing one assignment here and there will not be that big of a deal but eventually add up.

I had the opportunity to talk to my "other parents" (Bob and Gail Fletcher) who currently live in New Hampshire. A couple of summers ago (2007), I was blessed to be able to go and live with them for a whole month. I learned so much from them while in their care. I called them last Saturday to catch up with them, and I spoke with Bob about my thoughts on education. For the record, I would consider him one of the smartest people in my acquaintance. He is very well read, was a computer technician for many years, and knew just about everything about anything you can name. He is someone of whom I aspire to be like. That day we talked, he said, "Sylvia, I never got a degree past a high school diploma." I was in shock. I couldn't believe someone of his high intelligence would not have gone on to college. He proceeded to tell me that he went to 2 years of college before deciding that it wasn't worth his time to jump through the "University Hoops" anymore. He went to work as a computer programmer and did very well in his job. He told me, however, that because of this choice, he had to work a lot harder to convince the people he was working for that he deserved a raise or promotion or whatever would come along. There were other people going for that same job that did have bachelor's degrees that looked smarter because of it. "I was held back in a lot of things because I didn't have a piece of paper. I had more experience in the field, I had more knowledge on the subject, but they had a stamp of approval from a university, and for that, I had to explain my way through a lot of things. So even though it may not be worth it to you, it will be worth it to have that signature."

We then proceeded to talk about the course of action I should take while I was in college. He pointed out that I have been blessed and cursed with the ability to be a good test taker. I have always been able to do well on tests with minimal studying. Why cursed, do you ask? Well, it's the minimal studying part. I don't usually have to work hard to get the grade I want. Because of this, I haven't developed the same kind of work ethic that those who have to work hard to get good grades have. It's not that I can't work hard for a class. The classes that are hard for me I work hard in and put forth every effort I can because it means so much more to me to get an A in those classes than some junk generals class. It's the easy ones that get me. Getting a B in a class I was perfectly capable of getting an A in has helped me see this flaw more clearly. So what is the solution to my lack of motivation?

I asked Bob this very question and he gave me some good advice. He said, "Have you ever heard of the dilemma people face where they think 'Should I take the easy class and be bored but get an A or take the hard class and learn a lot and get a B?' My answer: Take the hard class and get an A. Show them what you're made of. And those A's will mean that you worked hard and learned a lot in the process." My motivation stems from doing something that other people think I shouldn't be able to do. The best A I got was the A in the English 325 class (junior-level class) I took my second semester here. I had to work hard. I had to go to a tutor. I had to study. But I got the hang of it. And those of you who know me well know how much I love grammar--that class was the class I learned it in. I am the TA for that class now (I am still not a Junior and I'm going to go teach it next Friday!). So the solution to my lack of motivation is to take the hard road.

A quote from Elder Richard L. Evans says something interesting about this subject:

“Life offers you two precious gifts—one is time, the other freedom of choice, the freedom to buy with your time what you will. You are free to exchange your allotment of time for thrills. You may trade it for base desires. You may invest it in greed. …

“Yours is the freedom to choose. But these are no bargains, for in them you find no lasting satisfaction.

“Every day, every hour, every minute of your span of mortal years must sometime be accounted for. And it is in this life that you walk by faith and prove yourself able to choose good over evil, right over wrong, enduring happiness over mere amusement. And your eternal reward will be according to your choosing.

“A prophet of God has said: ‘Men are that they might have joy’—a joy that includes a fullness of life, a life dedicated to service, to love and harmony in the home, and the fruits of honest toil—an acceptance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ—of its requirements and commandments.

“Only in these will you find true happiness, the happiness which doesn’t fade with the lights and the music and the crowds.”

We have the power. We have the opportunity to accomplish great things. We have been given time and choice to do with our time what we will. I can promise you blessings will come from our Heavenly Father if you choose to work hard and make good use of your time. So what will you choose to do with your time?