… take action to make yourself worthy of it.
It’s easy to spend time focusing on the rewards of success. We think about what we’ll do and how we’ll be once we get those rewards. Then our minds drift to those who already have the trappings of success and we dwell on and perhaps even envy their lifestyles.
All of this time spent thinking about rewards is time not spent doing the work needed to be worthy of them.
To get what you want, do what Abraham Lincoln did to get what he wanted,
“Every man is said to have his peculiar ambition. Whether it be true or not, I can say for one that I have no other so great as that of being truly esteemed of my fellow men, by rendering myself worthy of their esteem. How far I shall succeed in gratifying this ambition, is yet to be developed. I am young and unknown to many of you. I was born and have ever remained in the most humble walks of life. I have no wealthy or popular relations to recommend me. My case is thrown exclusively upon the independent voters of this county, and if elected they will have conferred a favor upon me, for which I shall be unremitting in my labors to compensate. But if the good people in their wisdom shall see fit to keep me in the back ground, I have been too familiar with disappointments to be very much chagrined.“
Abraham Lincoln in his first political announcement.
Work to deserve what you want but know that you’re not entitled to get what you want.
Inspired by Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
