is to give up necessary lessons.

Noah said this to both Erin and I during our Sunday dinner.

(Here's Noah if you don't know who he is)

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And ever since he said that to Erin and I, I cannot help to think about all the lessons I have learned that have come through hard work, sweat, frustration and tears.

The easy days, well, they were just that... easy.

They were sweet, like a the big juicy bite of your favorite fruit (assuming your favorite fruit is sweet and not sour LOL).

Question: would it taste so sweet if that is all you ate? Or would you become desensitized to it?

Another Question: imagine how sweet it would taste if you were the person who planted the seed, watered the tree, and protected it until it was ready to bear the fruit for you. Do you believe it would be sweeter than when you bought it from the grocery store shelves?

The best fruit I have ever had... were strawberries that came from my mother's garden in our backyard.

Not because those exact strawberries would win an award or anything, but because they came from her time, love, and attention to them.

I have never told her this.

I can still remember how sweet they were, and how much "better" they tasted compared to what we bought at the store.

^^^

There was a lesson in there that I failed to learn until years later.

And this is the lesson I am transferring to you now.

The strawberries that I can remember two decades later...

My mother didn't get to plant the seeds and hand me the berries in the same day.

Nor did I expect her to be able to magically make berries appear.

But where in life do you, me, we...

Expect the berries to appear out of thin air? ...

Without putting in the work to earn them?

Where in life are you taking shortcuts?...

Which is causing you to miss the lessons you must learn if you wish to reap the greatest "fruits" that this world has to offer.

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Thank you Noah for consistently giving me new ways of looking at the world. I appreciate you.

And if you read this, please ask yourself why do you seek shortcuts in your life? And what are you forgoing by doing so?

#thriveon

CJ

p.s. today I am grateful to have friend's like my buddy Rossman. He helped me big time yesterday with using his truck to help me move some heavy items. A lot of sweat was poured, and energy spent. I am beyond thankful to have people like him as a friend.