Sacrifice is a heavy word and I’ve been rolling it around in my head for a while. No, I am not talking about a voodoo ritual involving chickens or Aztecs offering up virgins to their deities. I am thinking about the choices we make in our lives that might or might not take us away from our heart’s desires.
I can start with the mundane, like sacrificing my time watching a ball game to do chores. It’s a small sacrifice and unlikely to move the impact needle unless of course, we’re talking Yankees-Red Sox playoff baseball (just kidding).
What about the choice we make in terms of our careers? I know many men who chose to stay in their jobs, regardless of how it made them miserable. Or those who worked horrendous hours to succeed, regardless of the emotional impact on their families and personal happiness. How many men missed their children’s soccer games because of the demands of their occupations?
In my early days as an accountant, I fell in lockstep with the idea of being the first one in and the last one out. I remember the seven days a week, fifteen-to-eighteen-hour days of tax season. It was hard, but it was paying the “price of admission.”
I remember beginning my career in financial services and opening my own office, trying to do everything….days, weeks and months melded together in the effort to build the business. It was physically and mentally draining. But, as I was taught by my workaholic father, you do what you have to do and STFU about it (although he never would have used the STFU).
We all sacrifice something because perfect balance is a fleeting concept. In Chapter X, the focus is different. Some things cannot and should not be sacrificed, such as your mental and physical health.
We all have stories about personal sacrifice. Please share yours.
