About this quote

We learn early on that effort does not always equal reward. Bad things happen to decent people, and slacking off sometimes goes completely unpunished. It is a hard pill to swallow, but fighting against reality only wastes your energy. Why expect the universe to keep a balanced ledger for your personal convenience? Accept the imbalance, dust yourself off, and focus on what you can actually control.

When to use it

• Your coworker gets the promotion you worked months of overtime for, simply because they play golf with the manager.
• You train for a marathon for an entire year, only to slip on a wet leaf at mile two and fracture your wrist.
• Your car breaks down the day after you finally pay off your credit card debt, wiping out your savings.