The internet is rife with people telling us to work harder and longer. Icons of modern industry suggest we hustle, grind and "work until our eyes bleed". Social media is an unending stream of photos with nice quotes about doing more than yesterday and brags about how many hours we're putting in. Even Apple touted the virtues of neglecting our families for the sake of our businesses in a recent ad (they wisely later pulled).

And for what?

Because this is a necessary step in order to accomplish a great vision?

Because it increases our impact on the world?

No. Simply to be seen. A desperate cry to be viewed as important. Self aggrandizement.

The value of hard work applied strategically and methodically to an endeavor cannot be overestimated. Nothing of value comes easily. Toil and hardship often accompany the greatest of missions throughout history. But, the constant burn to do more, more, more without proper perspective is a fire we must put out.