“Life would be nice if everything was handed to us, you know without any effort,” says the sinful inclination in all of us. However, reality is a reality people! Life is not easy, no one said it was. Milton Friedman was right in his assertion, “There's no such thing as a free lunch.” In fact, life would be boring if everything was handed to us. If without any effort people would acquire a house, a nice new car, an opulent 401k, etc., it would feel meaningless. I remember as a young child I would shovel the neighbor’s driveway or mow their lawn in the summer, I would earn a sense of achievement. On the other hand, whenever I received money without any effort it would be gone faster than I could remember.
I agree it’s easier to slack than it is to incrementally check those tasks off your to-do-list, but if you really want that new Porsche when you’re in your forties you’re going to have to work for it. The same thing is true for basic necessities in life. We hear idealists in congress talk about “free” college, healthcare, and other basic necessities. The truth is we live in a world of scarcity. We don’t live in the Garden of Eden after all. Competition is a reality and we all have to face it. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s economically efficient when healthcare costs are so high in America, but that’s not the private sector’s fault, it’s the government’s. Basic economics will tell you that monopolies inevitably raise prices. Some may ask: “what about college?” Indeed, college expenses are ridiculously above what they should be, but making tuition free will lower the value of institutions across America. I’m not saying a college student should have to take a full semester and work sixty hours a week to pay for it. I think if the government reduced their involvement, college prices would fall. Grove City College proves this point! Their tuition and fees are very low compared to bureaucratic institutions.
In our daily lives, this same principle is true. As a student, I continually encounter the struggle between getting things done and participating in more social events. Earning that degree will not happen by merely showing up to class! You have to work hard for it. It may not be fun at the moment, but you’ll be thankful when you’re not forced to say “would you like fries with that” when you’re thirty and unable to take that annual vacation to the Caribbean. Did Abraham Lincoln go from destitution to wealth without any effort? No! He didn’t demand a free ride and a cozy safe space. Rather he toughened up, got things done, and is one of history’s most famous presidents. A similar dream or something valuable to you could be true if you work at it. Playing Xbox more often than reading the assigned readings for the next day will not make your resume stand out from your thirty competitors while applying for that dream job.
Trust me life is not a simple endeavor. I have and continue to face many trials. Growing up I didn't have the luxury of a middle class family, two parents, and a good solid family life. However, not once did I allow these struggles to define my character, ambitions, and hopes. Overcoming the adversities is exceedingly more rewarding than allowing them to overcome you!
