Sacrifice is a funny thing. Most people conceptually understand what sacrifice is; to give up something to get something else. In theory it all sounds easy but in practice it looks quite different. We operate as if we don’t have to give up something to get something else. We live like we can have the cake and eat it too. Even worse, we get to a place where we think it is okay not to do what is required, because no one else is giving up the things either. Why should we? And hey, we need to make sure we fit in.
The truth is that life is a choice, life is an ‘either/or’ situation. Life is full of decisions where we have to choose one way or the other (or indecisions, which are also choices). There has to be something to give up, in order to get something else. Put in simple terms, you know that in order to release weight and get into better shape you have to sacrifice your potato-time on the couch for working out. You have to forgo the junk food for healthy food. If you want to be a medical doctor you have to spend time studying, attending university, endure long residency hours, and forgo sleep and your social life. If you want to save more money you have to either spend time finding a better paid job or an additional job or spend less on the things that you buy (or both).
Whilst we are quite aware of it, the willingness to make sacrifices for our own betterment seems limited. Maybe we don’t strive for attaining our full potential because the thought of doing the actual work is scary and quite possibly overwhelming. Maybe we aim for average instead because it is easier and everyone else is doing it and seems to be fine with it. We accept our external environment as our reality, and we accept that the mountain may just be too steep to climb.
I guess the biggest hurdle in sacrifice is the ‘giving up’ component of it all because it feels like we miss out on all the fun stuff, but possibly on all the toxic stuff too that we secretly love and are attached to. One interesting one I have come across is having to give up complaining to others about our situation. Isn’t the whinging about how bad our situation is just so intoxicating? We can blame someone or something for our misfortune. We don’t have to take responsibility. It sure may be a bad situation that we find ourselves in and it may not be our fault to have gotten to that position either, but it sure is our job to get ourselves out of it. No one is coming to save us and no amount of whinging about it will change that either. We have to save ourselves and start making sacrifices.
At some point we have to wonder if we are living or purely existing and if existing is the choice, that is fine. For me, existing is too painful. It is a life filled with being run by my emotions instead of taking measured steps towards a life that I truly want. The point is, it is up to us whether we are willing to sacrifice our current destructive habits and dare to do the uncommon, i.e. getting up at 4.30am, not eating dessert, not participating in gossip and spending time by ourselves, to build and work on our craft. Isn’t the pursuit of our own greatness more fulfilling than leading a ‘normal life’ as prescribed by society?
I think sacrifice has a bad reputation but if we are willing to see it as a friend, sacrifice can actually help us achieve living our best life, and it frees us up to create great habits and disciplines to live a life that means something to us.