Every day, just enjoy it. It goes by so fast. But put the work

The words of Joe Thornton—“Every day, just enjoy it. It goes by so fast. But put the work in and you’ll be rewarded.”—are a reflection not only of an athlete’s wisdom, but of the eternal rhythm of life itself. They remind us that time is swift, a rushing river that does not pause for any man. Yet within its flow lies opportunity: the chance to savor each moment while also laboring with discipline so that the fleeting days yield fruits that endure. To live well, Thornton teaches, is to balance joy with effort, presence with perseverance.

When he says, “Every day, just enjoy it,” he urges us to remember the sweetness of life in the present. The ancients knew this as carpe diem—seize the day—for the hours are short, and no man knows when his sun will set. Joy is not found only in victories, in crowns, or in distant tomorrows, but in the laughter of companions, the warmth of the morning sun, the breath of exertion in honest play. To forget this is to live as a shadow, always chasing and never savoring.

Yet Thornton does not stop at enjoyment. He warns, “But put the work in,” for joy without labor becomes shallow, a fleeting indulgence that soon fades. The ancients taught that true happiness arises not from idleness, but from arete, the excellence of striving toward one’s potential. A farmer delights in his field, but only because he has plowed it. A soldier finds pride in the feast, but only because he has endured the campaign. Without the work, the joy is empty; with it, joy is magnified.

History gives us shining examples of this balance. Think of Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome, who bore the crushing weight of empire yet found joy in small moments—writing in his Meditations of the beauty of the dawn, the companionship of loyal men, the virtue of duty fulfilled. He enjoyed each day, even in hardship, but he also labored tirelessly for the welfare of his people. In the same way, Thornton speaks as one who knows that to truly relish life, one must weave joy and work into a single fabric.

When Thornton says, “It goes by so fast,” he names the sorrow that every generation has discovered: time is swift, youth is brief, and the days of strength pass quickly into memory. But his words are not spoken in despair—they are a call to urgency. Because time is short, we must both savor it and fill it with meaning. To waste our days in bitterness or idleness is to dishonor the gift we have been given. The fleeting nature of life makes both joy and work sacred.

The reward he speaks of is not only trophies, nor wealth, nor glory. It is the deeper reward of a life well-lived: the satisfaction of knowing one has given one’s best, the peace of having embraced both labor and joy. The ancients called this eudaimonia, the flourishing of the soul. The reward is not only at the end, but along the way—in friendships built through effort, in skills forged by discipline, in memories that shine brighter because they were hard-earned.

For us, the lesson is this: rise each morning with two vows—to enjoy and to work. Look for joy in the ordinary, and do not delay in tasting the sweetness of life. But also, commit to the labor that will shape your destiny, for without it, joy is shallow. Do not let the speed of time dishearten you; let it ignite your spirit to act and to savor. For the man who blends joy with discipline will find that his fleeting days leave behind an eternal legacy.

Thus, let this teaching be carried forward: life is swift, but in its swiftness lies its glory. Enjoy each day. Work with devotion. Accept the speed of time, and let it make you cherish both effort and delight. For in this balance lies the true art of living, and the noble reward of a life not squandered, but fulfilled.