So, of all of my instagram posts so far, my Steve Harvey quote was by the most engaging, apparently. I ran across this quote in the New York Times, and I immediately loved it! I have possibly never read anything truer in my entire life.

I’m a huge believer in hard work and blood, sweat and tears. Yes, there may be shortcuts and easier ways, but I have a pretty keen eye and I’ve observed, over my 45 years, that most people I know who are fiscally successful in life just plan work hard. They get up early, they don’t fool around, they don’t look for the easier, softer way. There’s just no substitute for it. I feel like with social media and the multitude of motivational quotes and glimpses into other people’s seeming easy and glamorous lifestyles that we’re all looking for a shortcut to the good life. Ha ha, here’s your shortcut: get 5 hours of sleep lol!

I actually am a big believer in sleep and I need a solid 7 which puts me in bed by 10 pm every night, and that takes discipline too. No phone in bed, no texting, no binge-worthy shows that make me want to stay up, I don’t even read exciting books before I go to sleep because they wind me up. They key is discipline, you just have to do what you gotta do.

There are two women in my life who are super wealthy and successful. I’ve seen one of them take a conference call at 2 a.m. and the other one, who I just saw when we were up in New England last month, was still up at 11 on a Monday night, in her bathrobe and glasses, working. When we had to leave for the airport at 5 a.m., she was already dressed and on her way out the door to work, Louis Vuitton bag in hand lol.

Not everyone defines success by wealth or financial gain, and I am so down with that! I lead a modest lifestyle, I don’t need all the flashy stuff, and money is definitely no true indicator of happiness or success. But I think in this world, if you want it, you’ve got to work hard, hard, hard for it and there is a price to pay. Oftentimes financial success is a tradeoff, you lose time with your family, maybe good health habits, some of the small joys of life might pass you by. But if you want it, you can’t just sit and wait for it to happen, set that alarm, girls!

I’d love to hear your comments about this, I think it is seriously the most interesting topic, and enjoy the rest of my Instagram roundup above. And if you like what you see, be sure to follow me on Instagram for gorgeous inspo, pithy quotes and more!