Sacrifice or Trading

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It’s amusing to me how people are using the word “sacrifice”. Maybe, it’s more appropriate for me to say what people mean when they say it.

My wife and I got into a discussion about what we sacrifice for our kids. In a matter of speaking, she does sacrifice – but my point of view is that she isn’t REALLY sacrificing anything. We’re TRADING.

There were times in which I have a free hour to fit a workout at home; it could be on a Saturday or Sunday evening. I need to put more focus on my arms, abs or rear delts. But, for a moment, I think about my son. He’s been inside the house all day long and what I should really do is to take him out for a run and workout. I’m sacrificing my workout to take my son through his.

Sacrifice almost always implies losing something.

I’m losing a workout to spend time with my son. But, I don’t really see it as a sacrifice. I see it as a trade.

I really believe I’m gaining something more valuable by taking my kids out for a workout. In reality, I’m gaining more by giving my time to the people I care about.

In the case of someone dieting for weight loss, fat loss, bodybuilding show or, in my case, a powerlifting meet, I’ll stay away from junk food and sweet treats – limiting my carbs.

Trading the pleasure of eating cheat foods for the better will pay off in the end – fat loss, making weight for powerlifting and/or looking leaner for the summer.

A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush

The famous billionaire investor, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet mentions this in his most recent memoir Snowball.

A bird now is worth 2 birds later in the bush.

Skipping that sweet treat right now is worth being a little leaner in the future.

Much of what we do is measured in time. They say time is money. And, depending on your situation, later might be worth more than now.

Everyone is in a different point in their life – whether it’d be business/career or Fitness dieting. Everyone has different values with what’s important to them. It’s really up to you to decide what makes sense for you right now.

In the case of sacrificing now to earn more later, sure it makes a lot of sense BUT it also might not.

Trading hard hours spent in the gym to lift heavy ass weights, diet and prioritize rest and recovery isn’t in the cards for everybody.

Doctors sacrifice years of their life studying the most difficult classes or are they really just trading for something better?

Is it worth it? I imagine to most, YES but to some, NO.

You won’t know until you get there. Trading some of your time during the week to workout, to lift weights to build strength and endurance SHOULD compliment your life and make it better.

And, this is what we do to ourselves. We trade hours for dollars. We trade time doing something to get a bigger and better pay off in the future.

Now, what about enjoying the process?

Life is a journey, not a destination.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s not about the goal. It’s about growing to become the person that can accomplish that goal.” – Anthony Robbins

Without music, life is a journey through a desert.” – Pat Conroy

The last quote is the one I like the most because music can be dramatic, happy or sad. Music colors our life. And music doesn’t have to be music – it’s just an analogy. It literally gives tone.

I’m sure you have a favorite GENRE of music, but NOT ONLY one. There are times for sad and there are times for happy. There are times for anger. There are times for solitude.

You can’t have the highs without the lows. You can’t have the lows without the highs.

In a matter of speaking, we use the word “sacrifice” to tell ourselves a romantic story of struggle and loss.

Jesus Christ sacrificed himself for our sins. And, depending on what you believe, you may feel positive or negative about this. Very few people will feel neutral about religion.

You are trading the time of your life for something. It won’t always be clear that what you’re trading it for is worth it. So it’s important that no matter what it is, most of the time, you need to believe it is worth it. Most of the time, you need to enjoy it.

Related Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Graham

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/a_bird_in_the_hand_is_worth_two_in_the_bush