You give up your childhood. You miss proms and games and high-school events, and people say it's awful... I say it was a good trade. You miss something but I think I gained more than I lost.
Mary Lou RettonRead
Working hard becomes a habit, a serious kind of fun. You get self-satisfaction from pushing your self to the limit, knowing that all the effort is going to pay off.
Interpretation
Hard work can be enjoyable and leads to personal satisfaction and success.
Mary Lou Retton emphasizes the transformative power of hard work by presenting it as a rewarding habit rather than a chore. When individuals challenge themselves and consistently push their limits, they not only develop a sense of pride and accomplishment but also find joy in the process, knowing that their efforts will ultimately lead to meaningful rewards.
In practice
In a motivational speech at a company retreat, one could use this quote to inspire employees to embrace their challenges.
You give up your childhood. You miss proms and games and high-school events, and people say it's awful... I say it was a good trade. You miss something but I think I gained more than I lost.
Do what you LOVE to do, and do it so well that those who come to see you do it will bring others to watch you do it again and again and again.
Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.
When ambitious desires arise in thy heart, recall the days of extremity thou has passed through.
Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand - and melting like a snowflake.
You have to fail and then get better. Then you have to fail again, and then get even better.
Whatever I did, there was always someone around who was better qualified. They just didn't bother to do it.
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