I appreciate your thoughts, Semi! I, too, believe that the process — the ‘journey’ — is immensely significant and that it has worth apart from the result. In many (most?) situations, though, the experience of the ‘journey’ is much more valuable and useful to those who personally undergo it than it is to others. My point here is that I’ve realized I shouldn’t expect others to praise or reward me simply because I’ve made it (or am currently making it) through the ‘tough times’. External compensation — i.e., a reward (money, an opportunity, a ‘like’ on social media, etc.) given to you by another person (or company) — materializes after, not before, you give that person (or company) something of value first. This could as simple as a story that inspires or as complex as a solution to a massive technical problem. The lessons we personally learn via first-hand experiences of hard work and struggle can help, and be valued by, others but only if they truly help, i.e., affect (feelings of) or teach (abilities to), others. Cheers!