I Deserve the Best - And I’m Willing to Work for It

What if one of the healthiest beliefs you could ever adopt is simply this:

“I deserve the best… and I’m willing to work for it.”

In this episode of The No Cry Zone - for a sharper take on life, Jim Best explores why believing you deserve the best isn’t arrogance - it’s self-respect. The real question isn’t whether you deserve an extraordinary life; it’s whether you’re willing to become the kind of person who consistently creates extraordinary value.

In Segment One, Jim examines the difference between deserving and receiving, why so many of life’s opportunities are naturally competitive, and why studying high performers is far more productive than envying them.

In Segment Two, he challenges the familiar advice to “work smarter, not harder” and offers a more practical perspective: create value equal to the life you hope to receive. Discover why working hard isn’t about exhaustion - it’s about becoming more useful, more capable, and more valuable to the people and opportunities that matter most.

Also in this episode:

• An announcement about the upcoming UpwardsBest Learning System
• A humorous story about recording last week’s podcast while distracted by a mosquito after returning from Kenya
• The featured Brazen Candor song, “Wednesday”

If you’re ready to stop settling for average and start intentionally creating a remarkable life, this episode is for you.

Resources:
Daily personal growth: http://UpwardsBest.com
Music by Brazen Candor: http://BrazenCandor.com
Comments and feedback: mailto:media@upwardsbest.com

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Sit in the corn, just in a drink, try and do anything except no matter what I say. Everything takes me back to I have some cry, but it's now I might recover, but I don't know how it starts. I did my best and it wasn't enough. I think I figured out Wednesday's the day. Wednesday's the day.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Wednesday's the day you finally say goodbye. I deserve the best. And so do you. Welcome to the No Cry Zone for a sharper take on life. I'm your host, Jim Best. Today's intro song is titled Wednesday. It's by Brazen Candor, and it is one of those songs that keep playing over and over in my mind. Let me know if you enjoy it. You can reach me anytime at media at upwardsbest.com. Today I want to share what I believe is one of the healthiest beliefs you can possibly have. I deserve the best and I'm willing to work for it. Some people get uncomfortable with that first half. I deserve the best, they ask. That sounds arrogant. No. What would concern me is if you believe you deserve less than the best. Why would you intentionally aim for second best? Why would you hope for an average marriage, average health, average friendships, average opportunities, average experiences. Of course you deserve the best. So do I. So does everyone listening. The question has never been whether you deserve it. The question is whether you're willing to position yourself to receive it. That's where many people get stuck. They confuse deserving with receiving. Life doesn't hand us things simply because we'd enjoy having them. I know that sounds so basic, but in reality, many people conduct their life with that belief. Life tends to respond to value, though. Think about it. If ten people want the same promotion, only one gets it. Who deserved it? Who knows? Who worked hard enough to get it? Probably the one that got the promotion. If 50 people want the same house, one buyer wins. If two musicians write songs for the same artist, only one may get recorded. That isn't necessarily unfair. It's reality. Sometimes people say life isn't a competition. I understand what they're trying to say. We should cooperate. We should encourage one another. We shouldn't measure our worth against everyone else. I agree with that completely. But many of life's opportunities are still competitive. Not because people are cruel or rude or mean, but because resources are limited. There are only so many seats, only so many customers, only so much time, only so much attention, only so much proximity. So instead of complaining about that reality, why not become more valuable? That's a far more empowering strategy. I've never been bothered by people who perform better than I. First of all, there haven't been that many. However, instead of hoping they trip, I watch how they run. I look for their methods, their mindset. What gives them their edge, their advantage? Can I replicate it? Should I emulate them? I study them. I learn from them. I ask myself, what value are they creating that I haven't learned to create yet? That question changes everything. Because it moves us from victimhood to responsibility. And responsibility is where your momentum begins. So yes, believe you deserve the best. Just remember that receiving the best usually requires becoming your best. That's not punishment, that's not unfair, that's opportunity, and that's the way the world works. We're gonna take a short break, and when we come back, we are going to demystify a topic that causes way too many people to stop well short of the life they wish they could have. Here's Brazen Candor with Wednesday. Stick with me.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

It always feels worse on Wednesday. I drive down your street, wondering how you talk to your friends. Tell me how there was something I shouldn't just test. I should have just got it. I think I figured out why. Wednesday's the day. Wednesday's the day.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

Note it is not what most people think. By the way, I did want to share some exciting news with you. My no-cry zone folks are those that I consider to be my insiders. Like a no-cry zone club. We're going to be offering a really comprehensive upwards best learning system, incorporating the best and most effective material we've developed. It will include YouTube video sessions, audiobooks, and best proof of learning opportunities. More information to come, and we hope that you will be among the first to benefit from this new material platform. And something else I wanted to share. Two of our listeners and fans of the No Cry Zone reached out after listening to last week's episode. They basically said, We enjoyed your episode, to which I say thank you very much. But they continued, You didn't sound quite as sharp as usual. Are you okay? Now, in all fairness, I will admit to something. During that podcast, I saw a mosquito in the room with me. Now, most of the time a mosquito will have little impact on me. However, you might recall that I was in Kenya last week, where mosquitoes are responsible for some highly dangerous and infectious diseases. So, yes, I was distracted. But I carried on. And today I'm not in Kenya, and I see no mosquitoes, and so we will go forward undaunted. Now, we're gonna take a good long look at a phrase that frankly scares many and offends some. That phrase is hard work. Now, here's a confession. I've heard many people for a long time say, work smarter, not harder. Sounds good, although some people who have said it seem to have no capacity to work any smarter. Sorry, that's a little bit of sarcasm, but you'll find it is often true. However, what happens when you have to compete for those limited resources? Again, remember, customers, sales, recognition, rewards, promotions, dates, mates, marriage partners. When you have to compete against someone who is willing to work both smart and hard, answer. You may very well get your head handed to you. When people hear work hard, they often picture eighty hour weeks. Exhaustion, burnout, never seeing their family, always grinding. That's not what I mean. Working hard isn't measured by how tired you are. It's measured by whether you're consistently creating value. Here's the question. How hard do I have to work? My answer is surprisingly simple. You have to work hard enough to create value equal to the things you hope to receive. Simple formula. That's it. If you want greater trust, become more trustworthy. If you want better relationships, become a better friend. If you want more customers, become more useful. If you want higher income, find ways to solve bigger problems. If you want greater recognition, do work that's worthy of that recognition. Life is constantly asking one question. What value are you bringing? That's why I don't admire people simply because they're busy. Busy is invaluable. Complaining is invaluable. Looking exhausted is invaluable. Creating value is valuable. Being purposeful is valuable. Sometimes creating value means learning. Sometimes it means practicing more. Sometimes it means improving your attitude. Sometimes it means becoming more reliable. Sometimes it means becoming easier to work with, to collaborate with, to cooperate. Sometimes it means developing skills that almost nobody else has. That's productive work and that's creating value. And here's something I hope you'll remember. Working hard doesn't always mean doing more. Sometimes it means doing better. Sometimes it means stopping activities that create very little value and replacing them with activities that create a great deal of value. And if you don't know what creates value, ask the people you're working with, ask the people you're interacting with, ask the people who are expected to recognize your value and reward your value. That's wisdom. And once you understand this principle, your question changes. Instead of asking, why don't I have what I want? You begin asking, what additional value could I bring? That's an empowering question because it's largely under your control. So here's today's thought. Believe you deserve the best. Don't apologize for wanting an extraordinary life. Then become the person who consistently brings extraordinary value. Because in the long run, the marketplace, relationships, business, and life itself have an amazing way of rewarding people who make themselves genuinely valuable. Now, until next time, aspire. Be enamored with living. Come upwards with us. And do remember, this is the no-cry zone for a sharper take on life. Join me every day, upwardsbest.com. It is still your complimentary daily dose for personal growth. Check out Brazen Candor to lift you musically and let us know if you think they should release this song titled Wednesday. Thanks for listening. Join me next week.

SPEAKER_01 14:00

No matter what I say or do, every thought takes me back to you. I had some pride, but it's left me for now. I might recover, but I don't know how we talk. I did my best and it wasn't enough.