What Are You Willing to Sacrifice?

Image Background: Brenda Starr via Flickr

It would be awesome if one day you figured out your passions and then the next were living the dream. Either entering a career you loved or starting a hobby that made you smile, it would be great if that's how things worked.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Often there's a bit of change involved. Passions take time, especially if you want to become good at them through practice. And there's always a bit of sacrifice. 

Our lives are filled with tons of activities and responsibilities already. If you want to incorporate your passions into your daily life, something's going to have to give.

It could be your free time or time with your family and friends. It may be financial security. It might be skipping a hike every now and then. Whatever it is, something is going to have to make room for your passion.

So the question is, "What are you willing to sacrifice?" 

In reality, I think it has to be a little bit of everything. In my mind, each of these should be a priority in your life. Time, Health, Relationships, and even Money all have significant value in the modern world, so they should not be taken for granted. But that doesn't mean that they should always trump something else: Your happiness and satisfaction with your life.

While you shouldn't give up on your relationships, there's probably going to be a time where you give up a night out with friends to take advantage of an opportunity. You shouldn't eschew taking care of yourself, but there will be times when you just won't be able to make it to the gym or that yoga class.

I'm constantly juggling these four, balancing what my focus is, with the understanding that sometimes I'm going to lose sleep or not give my best effort to my loved ones in an effort to be satisfied with what I'm doing. There are times when I miss a sunset or two, and I'm painfully aware of that. But in the end, I know it will be worth it.