Not everyone who believes in hard work desires to become filthy rich though. Hard work is certainly getting me more ahead in life, no debt, and I don't have to be dependent upon the system in order to survive. Honest and hard work gives some people purpose in life, knowing their work is not only helping themselves but helping out others as well. Besides, hard working people are contributing in to the system, the taxes they pay help to keep programs like Social Security and Medicare funded, and without the sacrifices of hard working people where would our society be today?

Know your rights and don't be afraid to speak up. No employer can take advantage of you if you aren't willing to allow them to. On my first job out of high school, the starting pay was peanuts, but as time went by I took on more tasks and became a versatile worker, and when the company wanted to promote me to a higher position I demanded more money if they wanted to keep me on. In other words, I had them where I wanted them and they weren't the only ones capitalizing there, and the inevitable happened... they agreed to a hefty raise in order to secure my labor (with more raises afterwards), and I didn't need a union in order to get timely raises either. Most workplaces don't want to go through the process of hiring new employees if they don't have to. Through hard work, I made myself a more desirable and versatile employee, and they were willing to pay more to keep me. That start, out of high school, helped me to get to where I am today.