EARNING YOUR STRIPES

“Effort does not always produce joy, but there is no happiness without intelligent effort.” [UB 446:10]

Teacher: “Let us elaborate on the above statement, as it contains much food for thought. “There is no happiness without intelligent effort.” Why does effort need to be ‘intelligent’?

“A good use of your intelligence is also what determines the best outcome for the investment of your energies. An intelligent effort is an energy expenditure that has been carefully thought out—wisely budgeted, so to speak. An effort, devoid of this intelligent input strips your effort from its backbone.

“To make an effort implies to step out of one’s comfort zone. It is not easy; it is challenging. It has to be sustained in order to be productive and may generate many sore muscles—at all levels of your being—until these muscles have reached their optimal mode of functioning. What was at first difficult and challenging will eventually become easy and you will wonder about the sense of despondency you initially felt as you set your intentions toward that goal that seemed so remote from your reach.

“A climber standing at the foot of the Annapurna may also wonder if he is setting his sights too high. Yet, once he painstakingly reaches the top and enjoys the magnificent panorama, he experiences powerful and unprecedented emotions—a mighty change in his emotional landscape—due to the rightful pride of having made it to the top on his very own.

“What comes to you easily and naturally—without requiring much effort on your part—is part of the gift package handed to you at your birth. Beyond these already assembled gifts, you were handed some kits and assigned the challenge to put them together during your lifetime. Some of them come without an owner’s manual and challenge your thinking as well as your practical skills. They are your planetary homework assignment and require intention and effort on your part.

“Those born with a silver spoon in their mouth inherit by birth the legacy of their ancestors ‘hard work. Yet, at times, they may fool themselves into believing in their own superiority. No one can make you great but yourself if you work on bringing your personality potentials to full bloom. A self-made man is an individual who, by his own hard work and diligence, got to ‘self-realize.’ He then gets to enjoy the happiness that comes with being the best he can be—at any given time along his evolutionary journey.”