Hard Work Pays Off

Ok so I am going to be very transparent and say that as much as I want to become Dr. Bradford, there was a time in the not so far away past that I started to give up on completing my degree.  I was tired of attempting to complete chapter after chapter only for more edits, more revisions, more corrections my changes and I was just over it.  I spent days and weeks doing the minimal amount of work possible to just make it through to the next week.  I wanted to just throw in the towel and say I am content where I am and that the education I had was enough.

I am happy to say that I pressed my way through that valley.  I can be easy to get stuck there, but I did not.  It is okay to visit the valley at times, sometimes the valley experiences are necessary to help us appreciate the mountaintop experiences.  My time in the valley did not defeat me, it helped me to refocus and to learn what was important and what needed to be done to get to the next level.

Let me say that the valley is not an easy place to be.  There are also people in the valley that want you to stay there and hang out with them and stay for awhile.  The reality of the situation is that the valley is not for everybody and the valley was definitely not the place for me.  I am happy to know that not only was God with me in the valley, there were other family, friends and well wishers that walked through the valley with me and supported my climb out of the valley.

The bigger reality is that it is had work to get out of the valley.  And not only is it hard work getting out of the valley, there is hard work waiting for you when you come out of the valley.  And hard work was there waiting for me.  Not only did I delve back into the work on my dissertation, I decided to get a certificate in health policy and administration at the same time.  But I know that hard work pays off.  I also know that it is not just me.  That God is also on my side giving me the strength, the courage and the wisdom to do what I have set out to do.

I have worked hard all of my life for everything that I have.  I have worked hard to achieve my educational goals and I have also worked hard to achieve my work related goals.   I have spent many late nights and early mornings working and writing and thinking and doing what needed to be done and I have seen the hard work pay off.  Recently, began what is the final phases of my dissertation process and I can say that I still see the results of my hard work paying off.

I want to encourage anyone who feels like they want to give up to keep working at it.  Keep doing what God has placed in you to do to accomplish.  Surround yourself with positive people that encourage your growth and development and who want you to be as successful as you desire to be.  Most importantly keep going and keep growing and keep believing that not only that you CAN but that you WILL.  With God all things are possible and hard work does pay off!