Sacrifice

“It’s not hard to decide what you want your life to be about. What’s hard, she said, is figuring out what you’re willing to give up in order to do the things you really care about.” ― Shauna Niequist, Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way

I am soaking up these words. I am drinking their truth, swallowing my pride, and tasting the crispness of confrontation. Why is it that we often fail to own and speak about the challenges of sacrifice?

We’re quick to carry obligations with us and challenge ourselves for more. But perhaps our pursuit for a better life requires subtraction instead of addition. Math has never been my thing, but I think Niequist’s belief in sacrifice is the answer.

I take on. It has always served me well and makes me feel good. But I feel most alive, vulnerable, and inspired by sacrifice and/or saying no.

I am clear on what I’d like my life to be about. But it’s forever a struggle to sacrifice. Will I have a third baby? Will I take on more jobs instead? I want my life to be about giving love, writing well, mothering patiently and passionately, and being a miracle in motion for my husband (as his love is for me). But I recognize that in order to do these things well, something has to be sacrificed. Don’t argue here. It’s not about giving up dreams for more time. It’s about giving up things so there’s more time for dreams.

For now, it’s not about the answer. Rather, the journey begins with the question. Are you sacrificing for success or is sacrifice leading to a lack of success? This feels like a fika in the making…