"The sacrifice which causes sorrow to the doer of the sacrifice is no sacrifice. Real sacrifice lightens the mind of the doer and gives him a sense of peace and joy. The Buddha gave up the pleasures of life because they had become painful to him"
~Mahatma Gandhi
What do we really want? Once we get clear about this the Law of Sacrifice comes into play
Many of us do not know. We have been more focused and programmed to talk about and dwell on what we don't want. As we really entertain what we want, our focus sharpens and we grow in our awareness that we can have the life of our dreams if we can begin to imagine it. Then we realize another major truth: Once we know what we want and we look at what we've gotten so far we have new choices to make. We are going to have to change some things as we proceed. Our old life will not give us the life we are now desiring. It is no longer a good fit. What must we give up? Sometimes it can seem huge. We think of sacrifice as giving up something and then having less when in fact the exact opposite is true.
This universal law basically says we must give up something of a lesser value to attain something of a greater value. Often figuring out what the lesser value is can challenge us. Often we look outside ourselves towards others and do what we feel we "should" do and not what we truly want to do.
I had a client once who was faced with a huge problem with over-commitment and felt very out of balance in her life. She would say yes to her friends and family and would resent them because she could not set better boundaries. Ultimately she was angry with herself. As she determined what she really wanted, more time for self care and to pursue her passion for travel and writing she began to apply the Law of Sacrifice. Although her family & friends were important to her, she began to realize she had to practice more self-discipline and say "no" to things they asked of her. As she began to value herself more, her self confidence grew. She started to plan her trips and began writing her book. Her whole life became brighter and more forfilling.
This is a marvelous law that has to do with growth and discipline. We begin to ask what we must stop doing so we get the results we truly want.
When I worked for the state I was not living from my passion. I had lost my desire to stay in social work yet felt stuck and I stayed for many more years until a defining moment changed that forever. I had many bad habits and found the couch and TV my nighttime companions. I was attracted to reality TV shows. American Idol was at the top of my list.
After my wake-up call everything began to change. When I found coaching and began my certification program I still worked full time at the state job, yet I had energy and hope again. I hardly gave much thought to my old companions (couch & TV). It was no sacrifice to give up watching TV altogether, even American Idol. I knew what I wanted and pursed it whole-heartily.
Today, almost 6 years later, I have built a great business where I have the privilege and opportunity to impact many people while I also continually learn. The sacrifice, discipline and growth have been more than worth it.
What do you need to sacrifice in your life right now? It first boils down to the initial question asked, What do you REALLY want? Once you truly decide the rest follows, often with ease and grace.