I DON’T THINK that anyone would disagree with the statement that things are rough in the work environment these days. For a number of reasons it’s harder to rise through the ranks of whatever business you’re in then it was for our parents’ generation. Promotions are tough to earn despite hard work and dedication. Most people are lingering around the middle of their chosen field. Some people have chosen careers in the arts that have no set path. Whatever your chosen profession there’s no doubt that if you want to be the best and at the top of your game it needs to be your number one priority.
That’s why it pisses me off when I hear people say, “…yeah, but they’re trying too hard.”
What.
Does.
That.
Even.
Mean?
Seriously. I’m asking. This is not a rhetorical question. Someone is trying too hard. So does that mean they are dedicating 100% of themselves to the pursuit of their dreams? Does that mean that frivolous distractions don’t sidetrack them? When did it become insulting to tell someone that they were going the extra mile? When did it become cool to disparage someone for doing so? And let’s face it, some people are just not as naturally talented as others are at doing what they do, so they do need to try harder if they want to succeed.
We live in a society where gratification is instant, and it’s King. Sure, it’s nice that I can order a pizza or designer dress online and have the pizza delivered in thirty minutes and the dress in less than twenty-four hours. But the ease with which we do almost everything today has, sadly, made us lazy. We all want the quick, click-of-a-button route to success and have even been conditioned into thinking that the poor person working their a*s off is a sucker.
There’s a famous quote that’s often molded to fit anyone’s needs that says something along the lines of “if you never stop trying, you’ll never fail.” To me, saying that someone is trying too hard says a lot more about the person saying it then the person it’s being said about. You don’t have the ambition and the drive that someone else does, that’s fine. But don’t rain on their hustle, you lazy storm cloud. You’ll probably end up having to work for them someday, and you won’t want to have to try too hard to get back into their good graces.
