America is a Free Country But it’s Not Free

Last night I was in a cab with a Russian cab driver. After chatting with him for a few minutes, I yawned. He asked if I was tired. I told him, “Yeah, a bit. I work too much.” His response blew my mind. He told me from 2002 to 2011 he had worked every single day without a day off. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!
He said, “America is a free country. But it’s not free.”
In all my life, I’ve never found a good substitution for plain old hard work. Granted, startups can sometimes feel like a grind when you’re working 12-16 hour days 6 or 7 days a week. But no matter how hard you work, there will always be people out there working a helluva lot harder than you. Sometimes a good reality check is just what you need to stay motivated.