In the fall of 1988, I was faced with a major decision. It involved my car. It was a 1973 yellow Corvette I had purchased brand new 15 years earlier. It was my pride and joy, the only thing I owned of real value to me and I had taken really good care of it. At the same time, I was facing severe financial pressures beyond anything that I could previously imagine. You see, my business had failed (again) and I was broke (again). However, I was still responsible for thousands of dollars due to vendors. I had only one choice, sell my car, pay off my debts and attempt to start again, hopefully smarter this time. So, I sacrificed my Corvette, my pride and joy, for a chance to save my career and put myself on the road to success. However, without a car I had to ride my bike to and from my studio every day for almost 2 years. This decision has become the defining moment of my life. It convinced me that I was willing to sacrifice for my future…that I was willing to do without…that I was willing to put off immediate gratification for the possibility of future success and happiness.
So many of us want things but very few have asked the question of themselves: “What am I willing to give up in order to get it?” Are we willing to do without, to suffer short-term pain for the prospect of long-term gain? Since that defining moment In my life, I have encountered many people with great potential achieving at a level far below their possibilities because they’re not willing to make the sacrifices that will put them on the fast track to success. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “having your cake and eating it too.” It’s very possible to do exactly that, but not early in the game. “Having your cake and eating it too”, is reserved for those who have sacrificed early on. Very little consistent success is possible without having sacrificed early and often. We must be willing to give up in order to get.
One of the biggest obstacles to success is our unwillingness to sacrifice our attachment to negative people and negative situations…especially negative people. In most cases, the greater the sacrifice, the greater the return.
Mack Newton
Copyright Mack Newton. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the author.