Low hanging fruit

The low hanging fruit is often the easiest, but is it the most appealing? Animals and humans are both prone to going after the fruit that is the easiest to get, the fruit that dangles off the bottom most branches of the tree. There are many phrases and mantras that warn of a life spent seeking the easier paths in life, suggesting greater rewards for those willing to put in the effort necessary to claim them. Towards the top of the tree, you have fruit that receives the most sunshine, and the least interference from those willing to interfere with it.

The difference in quality should be obvious, the fruit hiding in the top of the tree waits for those who are willing to work hard to get it. The richness, the flavor, and the quality is sure to be much greater than the low hanging fruit. Easier, cheaper, more accessible does not always mean it’s going to taste good. The danger comes in temptation, do you take the easy way, pick the fruit from the bottom, enjoy the subpar flavor, or do you brave the challenge and scale the tree? The efforts you make to obtain the upper fruit makes a bigger difference than you realize. Not only is the quality far superior, but the efforts and challenges you faced to succeed have made you into a better person. In an instant oatmeal world, instant gratification removes the thrill, challenge, and satisfaction from completing a challenge. The next time you find yourself in the market for something special to you, don’t settle for less, work to achieve the absolute best.

The struggle to achieve your goals is what defines the meaning of your life. Can we meet our own potential when we challenge ourselves to be the best we can be? At our jobs, at our school, in our families we face obstacles that we overcome to achieve self-improvement. If we look at our endeavors as benchmarks to achieve better results, we invest more in them. Diligence and perseverance make the difference between existence and living.