Favorite Inspiring Quotes
Hard Work
Commentary by Peter Shepherd

“Work is not man's punishment. It is his reward and his strength and his pleasure.” ~ George Sand
True peace of mind comes from knowing you have given maximum effort in any endeavor. When life knocks you down, knowing you have given your all is a satisfying accomplishment to focus on.
“There are those who dream and wish and there are those who dream and work.” ~ Jeune.E. McIntyre
Jonathan Swift pointedly said, "I never knew a man come to greatness who lay abed late in the morning."
“Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.” ~ Dale Carnegie
When we are committed to work hard we tend to see things through, and we avoid the tragedy of stopping a fraction short of our prize without even knowing it. As Beverly Sills says, "There are no shortcuts to any place worth going."
“Look at a day when you feel supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing. It's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it.” ~ Margaret Thatcher
When you draw pleasure out of what you do, expending energy on it becomes so much easier and more natural. As Henry Ford said, "There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something."
“When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.” ~ Pauline R. Kezer
And Confucius: "Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life."

Here’s some further reading on this theme...
Success is Getting What You Want; Happiness is Wanting What You Get ~ by Jenny Mallos
Identify what works and what isn't working in your life and decide which things you want to continue doing and which you want to take off your plate. Be ruthless and above all, be honest with yourself. We are talking about your life here, not someone else's. Then, and only then are you ready to start exploring what success and happiness might mean for you. Continues...