Recently I had breakfast with a friend who I haven’t seen in a while. Marie and I have known each other since our kids were little and it was time to do a major catch up. So, we decided to meet early in the morning at a town diner.
A ripple of excitement flowed through me as I drove into the parking lot. It’s probably been over a year since I have eaten in this café thanks to COVID.
As I walked through the doors the welcome scent of coffee lured me further into the dining area to a booth. The sound of silverware clinking against plates extracted a smile from me as I enjoy the muffled sound of people talking. Oh, how I have missed this.
I didn’t have long to wait until Marie made her entrance into the restaurant all in a blaze of smiles with her eyes shining with excitement. Once she got settled across the table from me, she put her hands together and leaned in. “So, have you got your book published yet?”
I laughed. Marie was never one for beating around the bush. My great answered was, “No I haven’t. I shelved it for a while. There has been so much happening and my skydiving has kind of taken front and center for now.”
Maria accepted that answer and then we moved on to another subject not broaching the book topic again.
As I drove home after our breakfast, I got to thinking about this book of mine. Why haven’t I gotten any further with my book? The excuses I gave Marie were very real. The simple fact is I have said tomorrow yesterday too many times. I want to complete this process and make this book happen.
“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” – Steve Prefontaine
The other thought I had was, what if I continue to just table the book until I was ready to start working on it again. In one of my research moments, I came upon a phrase that caused me to re-think this thought. “Like a tree growing from a sapling, so a dream grows a little each day as we invest our time and energy into it. The moment we stop nurturing it, our dream stops growing. If we abandon it, our dream will wither and die.”
Oh wow. This is so true.
“If you don’t sacrifice for what you want, what you want becomes sacrificed.”
It’s human nature that we always make time for what or who we put first. For my dream to come true I must evaluate what is most important to me. What am I willing to sacrifice to make it come true?
“Sacrifice is a part of life. It’s supposed to be. It’s not something to regret. It’s something to aspire to.” – Mitch Albom
This means I need to make changes. I need to give up something that I want to keep in order to allow me time to finish the book project. Surrender something? But I want to do it all!
It is said that the law of life is, to gain something, we must let go of something. My time, attention, and energy are limited. This seems to be the ultimate constraint that forces me into a decision making. I don’t get to avoid giving up something, but I do get to choose what I will surrender for the sake of my dream. I need to set my priorities and apply some discipline. If I do this then there is a massive win at the end waiting for me.
“You aren’t going to find anybody that’s going to be successful without making a sacrifice and without perseverance.” – Lou Holtz
If you’re struggling to move forward with your dream, then maybe it’s time to rethink what’s going on in your life. Where is your time, attention, and energy going to? Do you need to do some reprioritizing? Ask yourself, can you make this sacrifice and be disciplined? Yes, you can do this!
Don’t forget that this journey isn’t meant to be a solo trek. God is right there with you. Don’t say that you’ll do it tomorrow, you already said that yesterday. You will succeed with your dream, and you will celebrate a massive win at the end. What are you waiting for, go for it!
“Life is a song – sing it. Life is a game – play it. Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realize it. Life is a sacrifice – offer it. Life is love – enjoy it.” – Sai Baba
Gwen
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