I wanted the reward and not the struggle. I wanted the result and not the process. I was in love with not the fight but only the victory.
And life doesn’t work that way.
Who you are is defined by what you're willing to struggle for. […] Our struggles determine our successes.

I wanted the reward and not the struggle. I wanted the result and not the process. I was in love not with the fight but only the victory.
And life doesn't work that way.

And it took me a long time and a lot of struggle to finally figure out why: I didn’t actually want it. I was in love with the result — the image of me on stage, people cheering, me rocking out, pouring my heart into what I was playing — but I wasn’t in love with the process.

The common cultural narratives would tell me that I somehow failed myself, that I’m a quitter or a loser, that I just didn’t “have it,” that I gave up on my dream and that maybe I let myself succumb to the pressures of society. But the truth is far less interesting than any of these explanations. The truth is, I thought I wanted something, but it turns out I didn’t. End of story.

It is wrong to expect a reward for your struggles. The reward is the act of struggle itself, not what you win. Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's life.

Not everything I've wanted has manifested. This has usually been a blessing in disguise. Too many times I've believed that I wanted and needed something, but it was all for the wrong reasons. Over the years I've gained clarity and sighed with relief for not getting what I thought was surely meant for me. Often, I've not got what I wanted, only to find I've later been blessed with even more.

I wanted to win. No, that’s not right. I simply didn’t want to lose.

Results, not effort, is the name of the game. You are rewarded in life by the results you produce, not the effort and time you put in.

I had no genius, no mission to fulfill, no great heart to bestow. I had nothing and I deserved nothing. But all the same I desired some sort of reward.

Success is getting what you want.
Happiness is wanting what you get.

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get.

It doesn't make sense to continue wanting something if you're not willing to do what it takes to get it.

If you don't want to live the lifestyle, then release yourself from the desire. To crave the result but not the process, is to guarantee disappointment.

I dreamed instead of did. I wished and hoped instead of tried.

I didn't think that working hard and wanting something that's out of your control would be that bothersome to people. It was just really disappointing for me.