When you live for a strong purpose, then hard work isn't an option. It's a necessity.
If you want to achieve some really big and interesting goals, you have to learn to fall in love with hard work.
Hard work pays off. When someone tells you otherwise, beware the sales pitch for something "fast and easy" that's about to come next. The greater your capacity for hard work, the more rewards fall within your grasp. The deeper you can dig, the more treasure you can potentially find.