I have a philosophy in life that rewards should be earned and not given, and the excerpt below brilliantly exemplifies that philosophy:

There is a good story told, of one of Napoleon’s marshals, Lefebvre, the gallant old soldier who became Duke of Danzig. A civilian friend was once envying him his house and decorations and other awards. At last the old marshal got tired of it and said to him: “Well, if you want all these things come out into my garden and let me have 10 shots at you at 40 paces. If you survive I will hand over to you my house and everything in it.” His friend, perhaps naturally, objected. “All right.” said the old marshal, “but remember that I had several hundred shots fired at me at that range before I got all these things.”

Reference

Wavell, A. Sir. (1941) Generals and Generalship. Harmnondsworth, England: Penguin Books.