Sacrifice Must Have Value

You've heard the clichés 'nothing ventured, nothing lost' or 'no pain, no gain'. What do they mean; besides the obvious? I think they are referring to sacrifices and the concept that you have to give in order to get. What you give needs to be big and important and worth it, otherwise it doesn't really count as a sacrifice.

 

So, the BIG question is what do you hope to accomplish? What is your goal? The even BIGGER question is what are willing to sacrifice in order to achieve it? Your time? Your money? Your sweat and effort? Or how about your pride? What things are so important to you that to give up even a little of it will be huge?

 

Everyone's goals, dreams and struggles are as unique as snowflakes; no two are going to be the same. In the same way each sacrifice is going to be different, as well. What is important to one person is going to be entirely different than the person standing next to them in the grocery store check out line - and that's okay. That's as it should be.

Setting a goal is the first step; whether it's for a better lifestyle or a new job or if it's something necessary to overcome an injury or disease. Set the goal and think about how important it is to you, to your family, etc. Think about what it will take to tackle it head on. Think about what that will mean; how much time will it take, what will it cost, and how involved will YOU need to be in the process. Then decide how you can make it actually happen. What will you need to sacrifice? How will you readjust your schedule to make the time needed? Will you be able to cut back on a certain expense to have the extra money you may need? Can you dig deep and allow yourself to put your pride aside if you need to ask for help?

The sacrifice must have value or it's not a sacrifice.

The Value of Sweat Equity

When we talk about equity we're often referring to something we have an investment in; our home, our car, or our finances. Those are things. We also have sweat equity invested in other areas of our lives; our relationships, projects we're working on, or maybe programs we're involved in.

Here's an example. Youth today have plenty of ways to fill their time. Your kids could be part of a dance or cheer team, a school band, an athletic team, a boy or girl scout troop, or even a youth group at their church.

When I was young I never received anything I didn't work hard for. I earned a small allowance when I was younger, I took babysitting jobs, and I got my first real after school job when I was 15. I paid for my first car. I bought my own clothes in high school. I paid for myself to go to the movies. I invested sweat equity into everything I did. Guess what? It felt good to work for and earn what I had. It also made me more aware of how I spent my time and my money.

Many youth today (and sadly some adults too) seem to want everything handed to them. Of course, I'm not trying to lump everyone into one category; that wouldn't be fair. But many have an attitude that comes across as 'I deserve it. I want the best and I want it now.' There's a sense of pride and accomplishment that comes from working for something and earning it.

I met a young girl at church last year who came in to help me with a project in order to earn 'volunteer' hours. I asked her if it was for school, perhaps the National Honor Society. She replied, 'No, it's for my dance troop. My teacher does a lot for us so we can go to competitions. She requires us to perform service hours in our community to give back.' How awesome it that? And what a great lesson to be taught. 

It bothers me when I see groups of people (youth or adults) asking for support so 'they' can do something, but then not being willing to give back to the same people who have so generously supported them. I suppose it would be a more perfect world if those people would offer to give back all on their own without having to be asked, or coaxed, or begged. It seems like they should be willing, appreciative and eager to give back, but so often that just isn't the case. It makes me wonder when everything changed and more importantly ... can we, as a society, change it back?

What do you think?