Are you glad your dad (or mom) taught you the value of hard work?

[paulri]

I do believe, as folks here have posted, that a good strong work ethic is crucial--at least, if you don't inherit a million bucks. It has really come in handy time and time again for me, when simply doing a "just good enough" job wouldn't have given results that were happy to anyone.

I do have to say, however, with one kid entering her junior year in college, the other one just having graduated high school, that if I had to do it again, I'd spend more time with them. Not saying less time with work, but I'm pretty sure I could have managed to spend less time on the interwebs if I planned out my day a bit better. It hasn't exactly been a failure on my part--kids are fine--just a perspective for new parents to consider.

 

[Blueshound]

No. A job is what you do to allow yourself to have a life. The less work, the better.

 

[eljefino]

Hard work is fine and all but being able to schmooze, brown nose, and suck up gets you ahead faster.

 

[fdcg27]

We teach our kids by example, not with verbal instruction. The best lesson you can give your children is that you get up and go to work every day, even when you'd rather not.
Another point is that the job you can get today is better than the one that better recognizes your skill set five or six months down the road. Every day of lost work is an earning opportunity lost to you that cannot be regained while you fritter away your savings waiting for a ship that may never come.
Anyone else ever seen a production of "Waiting for Godot"?

 

[userfriendly]

Long story short, I got suitcases for my 18th birthday.

 

[4WD]

Long story short, I got suitcases for my 18th birthday.

I work with a guy who got the same - yet, his grandfather was worth $800 million …

 

[GON]

I work with a guy who got the same - yet, his grandfather was worth $800 million …

Vast majority of wealth is made first generation, and pilfered after inheritance. One only need look at the continual challenges of adult children of Hollywood stars to know what happens when children don't have responsibilities.

Kudos to that Grampa!!i Might have saved his grandson's life by giving him suitcases instead of a trust fund.

 

[4WD]

Vast majority of wealth is made first generation, and pilfered after inheritance. One only need look at the continual challenges of adult children of Hollywood stars to know what happens when children don't have responsibilities.

Kudos to that Grampa!!ight have saved his grandson's life by giving him suitcases instead of a trust fund.

Well, he went to war to earn a degree so even though it ended well he could of died too …

 

[GON]

Well, he went to war to earn a degree so even though it ended well he could of died too …

During the most fatalistic days of Operation Iraqi Freedom, a 18-22 year old male was still safer in Iraq than in Los Angeles. Tough statistic to use.

Proud of the young man for volunteering to serve his country and be part of of something larger than himself.

 

[4WD]

During the most fatalistic days of Operation Iraqi Freedom, a 18-22 year old male was still safer in Iraq than in Los Angeles. Tough statistic to use.

Proud of the young man for volunteering to serve his country and be part of of something larger than himself.

Not sure what LAX has to do with statistics for someone from a small Texas panhandle town … these kids all worked hard on ranches …
His mistake was picking the wrong college … Thrown out …

 

[GON]

Not sure what LAX has to do with statistics for someone from a small Texas panhandle town … these kids all worked hard on ranches …
His mistake was picking the wrong college … Thrown out …

Sorry, I must have missed something in your post.

 

[4WD]

Sorry, I must have missed something in your post.

They were not spoiled kids - grandpa was a ruthless Rancher - we had several of them in Texas - they didn’t disagree nicely

 

[wpod]

I dunno I started working a summer job @14. I had a full time job before I graduated high school. I missed my graduation because I had to work that day.

I have busted my rump 5-6 days a week and dont seem to have much to show for it.

I have never had a paid vacation. I worked 18 years straight with only weekends off.

I see lazy people get treated better that ones that work hard so is it worth it?

Honor

 

[wpod]

Yes, but certainly not in the way he taught us. My dad was shipped off to boarding school in his country because that was the only way to go to school in his country. Then immigrated over here when he was around 14 years old in the 70s, with no knowledge of English and with barely an elementary school education, and was another 4 years before anybody else in the family could come over. As much as I dislike him and don't talk to him I'm glad he constantly hit in our heads how "he lived alone since he was 14 years old and we need to learn how to survive on our own."

Dad was a hard person because he did quite an amazing thing.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I would say I learned about hard work from the school of hard knocks. So I went back to college for the millionth time. Worked much better when I put the plug in the jug. Then the hard work was over; I got a job as a programmer in an air conditioned office where they threw money at you for playing with computers. That ain't hard work; it's a joke in comparison.

 

[Wingo]

Very thankful. Grew up on a farm, where you had zero chance to be lazy. Transferred well into my career, though as I'm getting older I find I can't keep the same pace I would like, or that I had in the past....which is another topic, getting old sucks.

 

[andrew_j]

Hard work is important however smooze and personable gets way further. I’d say hard work is not as critical as work smarter ..

 

[Lubener]

Surely yes. I even thanked him many years back for giving me that "kick in the pants" when I needed motivation.

 

[ChiTDI]

Every day.