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 True Value Of A Word

Words can be simple or they can be complicated. The choice is always there and always yours. You've probably heard the old sayings 'choose your words carefully' and 'if you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all'. I can't think of better advice. Words have the amazing ability to be anything. They can be heartfelt and supportive or they can be hurtful and mean-spirited. They can be comedic, witty and punny or they can be warm, endearing and inspiring.

Words can be singular and powerful like 'GO', 'STOP', 'YES', and 'NO'. Words can also become clear phrases when put together that tell us exactly what someone is thinking: 'I LOVE YOU', 'I'M HUNGRY', and when my kids were young ... 'BRUSH YOUR TEETH, IT'S TIME FOR BED'. I don't think a parent can be any clearer than that. Words can be very effective. They can used to form meaningful prayers that guide us when we are in need, the rhymes in a greeting card that make us smile, the lyrics in a song that warm our hearts, or create life-changing effects in a politician's speech.

I have a favorite website that I go to when I want to read words that are unique; words that make me think or make me laugh. The website is called the 'Quote Garden'. You can type in any category and you'll be blessed with a wide variety of quotes, some by people you've heard of and others that you haven't. The fascinating part isn't always 'who said what' but rather 'what was actually said'. Words have the keen ability to entertain us, but also to make us stop and think.

Here are a few quotes that caught my eye today.

You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him. ~ Leo Aikman

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~ Theodore Roosevelt

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. ~ Jimmy Johnson

Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. ~ Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

I thought growing up was something that happened automatically as you got older. But it turns out it's something you have to choose to do. ~ From the television show Scrubs

What are my words for you today? Think of what you want to say to someone or what you want to write ... hear them in your mind first or read what you have written ... listen to or read the words carefully, be sure you are clear and that they are the right words. Remember that once you use them you can't always get them back. Make them count and use them wisely.