Naïve but not discouraged: The value of the well-earned dollar and hard work

I think some of us forget what hard work can truly mean to us. What's the phrase: money given is a lot sweeter than money earned?

When we work hard for what we have, the paycheck, a house, a car, we place more value on it and take care of it. If something's just given to us, though, the respect for it goes out the window.

For example, let's say you're a 15-year-old kid and your parents just gave you an IPhone for your birthday.

You'd do whatever you want with that phone: throw it on your bed, end up getting it wet, cracking the screen because you were being careless with it.

Time and time again, you'll go to your parents with another damaged phone that needs to be replaced.

The other side of it? You're a 15-year-old kid who wants an IPhone, but when you ask your parents they tell you that if you want the phone, you need to pay for it yourself.

So you spend weekends during the school year doing odd jobs for neighbors and get a job during the summer, all the while saving up every penny for that new IPhone. Eventually you have enough and you're able to walk into the store with enough cash to buy your phone outright.

Because you know all the hard work you put into getting that phone, you take excellent care of it: you buy the best case you can so it doesn't break, you never take it near water, you don't let your friends or younger siblings treat it like a toy.

Do you see the point I'm trying to make?

When you truly understand the hard work that goes into owning something like a phone or a car, you put so much value on it.

I think too many times in our lives we become expectant of the people around us.

My car is low on gas? Well my dad will give me money for it so I'll blow the money I do have on a new game. My phone screen is broken? Well I know that someone else will take care of it for me.

We can't be constantly reliant on people to bend to our will - they're not toys we have control over.

It's time for people to step up and earn something for themselves.