In an instant-on, one-click universe, the idea of sacrifice is pretty alien. When the world might end tomorrow, when you can get what you want now, when debt is easier than ever to go into, why even consider sacrifice?
Because sacrifice is the single best way to achieve goals. Satisfaction now decreases the reserves we have to build for later. Investing in something worth building always requires you to avoid getting what you want today. Sacrifice might mean giving up an expenditure, but it can also be the bold step of having a difficult conversation now instead of later.
Regardless of the goal, sacrifices make it more likely that you’ll get there.
The journey toward that goal, is a key part of the goal itself. We are never certain we’ll reach our goal; which is one reason so few people persist. If the journey involves sacrifice, we’re paying for that goal, the goal we’re never sure to reach, every day.
Hence delight.
The act of sacrifice, of foregoing one thing in our journey toward another one, one more generous, virtuous and useful, is actually a little piece of the satisfaction of the goal itself.
If it comes easy, it’s not the same. Gold medals are not made of gold, but of blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice.
