"The Climb" Canvas Art by IKONICK. No good rewards come without the Hustle.

You have to make the climb if you want to enjoy the view.

Have you ever gone on a hike close to town? You get to the trailhead and the entire parking lot is packed full of cars, the trail itself looks more like a single-file line than an escape into nature, and there are so many people taking pictures at the turn-around point, the view is blocked anyway.

It's good to get out into nature, but when there are more hikers than wildlife it's a lot less therapeutic. The lower the effort required, the more people will do something. Take a hike in the Hollywood Hills and you'll see. You'll see tons of people walking up to get a hazy view of the same part of town they left from.

But put in more work and you'll be rewarded. Wake up early and drive three hours out of town to Sequoias National Park and the crowd thins out. It takes blood, sweat, and blisters to conquer the steep grade, uneven rocky footing, and thinning air. For most, it's simply too much.

The higher the trail goes, the fewer people you see. Then vegetation tapers off. At a certain point, even wildlife avoids the high elevation. Eventually, all that's left is the most resilient hikers—and a view all to themselves.

It takes a willingness to constantly push yourself further, but those who make it to the top are rewarded. The view is earned only by those who can stand up to the harsh environment. And it's worth the climb.

The best things in life aren't easily achieved. The more effort and persistence is demanded by a challenge, the higher the sense of pride you get for accomplishing it.

Whether you're submitting a mountain or starting up a business, the climbers around you will start to fall off, the higher you go. They will be underprepared and unwilling to put in the hard work. Then one day you'll look around and find yourself at the top with the view to yourself.

"The Climb" original canvas wall artwork by IKONICK illustrates an important point: The harder the ascent, the better the view. If you can go higher than the rest, you'll be able to look back on how far you came with a sense of pride that no one can take away from you. Push past where others will. Put one foot in front of the other, and keep climbing.