Chapter 5

Sacrifice

Anything worthwhile in life will cost something. You cannot have everything, and you cannot become the man you want to be without giving up some of the things you want along the way.

Every important choice involves sacrifice. If you want financial security, you may have to sacrifice spending today. If you want to build something worthwhile, you will sacrifice time, comfort, and easier opportunities. If you want a strong family, there will be occasions when their needs come before your own. If you want to live by your principles, you may sometimes have to sacrifice popularity, approval, or personal advantage.

As a man, sacrifice is crucial; it is part of what makes a good life possible. There will be times when you must put yourself second. If you become a father, there will be things you give up for your children without hesitation. You will give them your time when you are tired, spend money on them that you might have spent on yourself, and sometimes put aside your own ambitions because they need you more. You may never receive recognition for those sacrifices, and you should not expect it. Some of the most important things you do in life will be things nobody applauds.

A man who refuses to sacrifice anything eventually becomes a slave to his immediate desires. He chooses what is easiest, most comfortable, or most pleasurable now and pays for it later. Conversely, a man willing to sacrifice his personal ambitions, freedom, and emotions for a greater cause—or to protect and provide for his family—reaps the reward of a meaningful life.

If you want something, you must sacrifice to get it: paying a price today to win what you value tomorrow. Remember, though, that the greatest sacrifices are not always dramatic. More often, they are the small choices made repeatedly: getting up when you would rather stay in bed, saving rather than spending, working when you would rather relax, keeping a promise when it becomes inconvenient, and putting the people you love before yourself when it matters.

You will sacrifice something whichever path you choose. The important question is whether you are sacrificing what matters least for what matters most—or the other way around. Choose carefully. A good life is not built by avoiding sacrifice. It is built by deciding what is worth sacrificing for. Without sacrifice, the journey is pointless—and a pointless journey is not worth taking.