of sacrifice

I was having a quick catch up with a close friend recently.

We were talking about our personal commitments, our dreams, our sacrifices, our regrets. About how things have changed so much from when we were fresh out of university. It’s been a year? Those days felt like a dream.  

While we were studying, often times when shit happens, we feel like we’re forced to grow up too fast. We feel proud of our little achievements, that we have in fact, experienced life; that we’re not the naive graduates that we’re made out to be.

But everyone has different experiences. Mine’s probably not the same as yours. Your definition of “meeting different types of people” is probably not the same as mine. So we continue learning.

Here I am now, having to grasp aspects of life that I never gave much thought to in the past. When did I start casually discussing investment and saving plans again? Annual leaves and weekends are precious, the same way that every cent counts towards financial goals. It was a bit scary, noticing the change.

For all our “if-only” wishes, I mentioned to my friend, if anything, sacrifices and bad decisions have helped me realize what I really want to do with my life, and what matters. It gets you thinking.

It reaches a point where I realize that when you really set your eyes on your ultimate goal, sacrifices aren't so much of a burden anymore. That compromise is necessary. It’s inevitable towards success.

The crucial question is, “What is it that you want? Are you very sure? How much do you really want it?”

Because if it’s something that you really want, those sacrifices shouldn't hurt as much – you know that the satisfaction at the end of the day is worth much more than the sleepless nights, the ultra tight budget and the drastic lifestyle changes. One day you won’t even realize that you have been sacrificing that all along.

Of course, sacrifice isn't necessarily permanent. One has to live a balanced life. But that is another story in itself.

Your sacrifices are a reflection of your priorities. And your priorities are what make you the person that you are.

So, how much do you really want it?

What will you sacrifice?