Is There An Effort Gap?

we decry gaps. educational gaps, equity gaps, medical gaps, racial gaps, wealth gaps, trade gaps, etc.

we rarely decry about the “effort gap.” effort gaps are often discussed in the sports’ world. scoreboards sometime evidence this diminished effort.

individual’s personal worlds do not have scoreboard to judge effort. effort indicators such as school grades, test results, bank accounts, net worth, reputation can be used as data for the determination.

effort can be assessed in two ways. an internal appraisal is of value. it can be quite painful if one is not in denial. also, an external appraisal is of value. trusted and knowledgable individuals are capable of making quality assessments. an external appraisal may not understand the internal workings. for example, an athlete may have physical problems not apparent.

“effort gaps” are painful. a lack of effort relates poorly upon ourselves. some individuals will themselves as failures or losers. there are individuals who avoid the self-reflection and look outward to point to blame for falling short. everyone else but themselves are to blame for their short comings. this blame can be full of anger and rage. they are subconsciously avoiding their internal day of reckoning. no one wants to hear they have failed, came up short, or did not fulfill their destiny. it is all too convenient to blame others than face the hard facts. no one wants to be accused of cheating themselves.

effort has been described in the torah: as it is said, ” and you shall love the lord, your god, with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your means.” deuteronomy 6:5

the hebrew word of import is בְּכָל [b’coll] which translates to “with all. ” thus, biblical effort is “with all.”

conversely, as we are god’ creation, should we each “love ourselves.” in loving ones’s self. it should be done with a full effort to continue to be the best person we can be: to achieve, succeed, and have a wonderful and fruitful life.

in sum, as much as one would love to blame others for our failures, everyone should have the courage to confront, for the sake of their self-improvement, the most terrifying person on the planet, themselves.

be well!!

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