Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
Commentary
Commentary
Meaning and effort belong together more often than comfort and meaning do. Worthwhile labor is itself part of the reward.
Roosevelt does not romanticize grind for its own sake. He links strenuousness to purpose, implying that hard work becomes dignified when the task itself is good and useful.
Its endurance comes from vocational clarity. Fulfillment is frequently discovered in committed service, not ease.
Commentary
Commentary