For new readers to my blog – every so often my 17 year old daughter Ashley will write a blog to share with my readers.  Over the years her blogs end up being everyone’s favorites and I am certain this one will be no different, so enjoy today’s blog written by Ashley.  ~Amy

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Work Hard–Play Harder (written by Ashley Lewis)

I have learned that there is a balance to be made between work and play. When summer first started, in my head I had earned the right to be lazy, sleep in, and hang out with friends since I had worked so hard during the school year. But let me refer to an analogy that I heard once before:

“You can’t brush your teeth for a long time on Monday, and then expect to not have to do it again all week in order to have refreshing breath.”

Work is something that you have to continue doing your whole life–whether it is an actual job, or chores around the house. What my dad has recently taught me is that the balance is this: Work Hard, Play Hard. If you put in the hours every day by doing something productive, not only do you feel like you’ve actually accomplished something, but you have also earned your opportunity to play. I’ve learned that if you look at it like that, you are more motivated to work harder, faster. That way you are basically tripling the amount of work you do in the summer compared to a normal day.

Don’t listen to Mark Twain when he said, “Work is a necessary evil to be avoided.” Take the words of Tomas Edison in his statement, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” What sometimes might look like work to us is actually an opportunity to learn and grow.

When my mom married my dad, my brother Dalton and I had to learn a lot more about hard work because my dad was big into making us do chores every weekend.  He taught Dalton and I a lot about hard work at home when he stepped into the picture. Over the years, Dalton and I grew in that aspect. Before, I didn’t realize how important hard work was in helping me grow. Now looking at it, if you aren’t a hard worker, what are you? Hard work is such a key element in today’s world. It affects your position in a work environment, and is the game changer on whether or not you can finish or complete a hard task. Without hard work, we could get nowhere in life.

I now look back at what my dad taught me. I am grateful for the lesson that I learned about hard work. I have grown tremendously since they first got married, and now have a better perspective about working. Referring back to Thomas Edison’s quote, I think what he was trying to say was if we look at a situation as working, then we miss all the chances we can take to help others, help ourselves, and make a difference in this world. So remember that today when you are working. Don’t look at it as actual work. Look at it as an opportunity you’ve been given to make a difference and help somebody in need. I promise you it will change your whole outlook and attitude about work.

-Ashley