Work Hard? Why?

I found this on Pinterest the other day and thought, "Yes. Exactly. What a great motto for life." 

                     Yet, sometimes I feel that people simply do not understand or value the awesomeness of hard work. There is a lack of effort on the part of many people. Why? Why do people no longer feel the need to work hard? Why do people no longer feel the need to work for what they have? Why do people think handouts and mooching is the way to go? I simply do not know. I do not understand. I may never understand. 

                      I am one of those people who has had a job since I was 15. I worked during high school (and not just on the weekends). I worked during college (except for freshman year- and that was only after saving a ton of money to be able to do so. And, I'll admit, some generosity from my parents.)  I work now. I work hard every single day. Even when I'm not teaching, I'm still working. 

I feel like sometimes I stop and look around and wonder why on earth no one else seems to be working. I don't get it. I don't just mean a job that pays your bills, though that is mainly what I'm talking about. I mean working for what you have. Earning your keep, so to speak. 

                      I often hear people say that they are hard workers. Really? I've yet to see you get off the couch. I hear people say they can't find jobs. Really? Are you too good for good ol' McDonald's? I hear people say they'll just get on welfare. Seriously?! Since when did that become something to brag about? I have no problem with people receiving assistance from the government when times are tough. I think it is awesome that those programs exist, but I do not think it is awesome for people to abuse those programs.

                       For the second half- "Be nice to people." Why can't people just be NICE? When did that become such a foreign idea? I actually had someone basically tell me the other day in a store that because I was not raising heck over bad customer service they didn't see the need to take me seriously. Really? Since when is it better to be rude to others than to be nice? Just because I can smile and be polite to you when what I really want to do is jump up and down, scream and yell, and then tell the manager that you aren't worth the air they are allowing you to breathe doesn't mean my complain shouldn't be taken seriously. 

                         Which brings me to another thing- why is it that I always get the cranky register workers at stores? I do. Seriously. I appear to be magnetically attracted to these people. I always get them and I smile and am polite but I really want to say, "you should have blessed us all by calling in." I had a guy at a store one time tell me (and this was not that early in the day) that I was the first person to come through his line with a smile on my face and a good attitude. Now really people. We need to be nice to people who are working. It has to go both ways. I was shocked when the guy told me I was the first happy person through his line and told him there's no reason for me to go around being nasty to other people for no reason and that I hope the next people were nice too. 

So, I challenge you (and myself): "Work hard and be nice to people."