But I'm telling you right now, for everything there is a cost - a price that must be paid.
Now, it doesn't mean the price is high or even something that is necessarily painful, but it could be. A dancer may sacrifice her feet later in order to have her career now. A football star may sacrifice his knees later in order to have 10 years of sporting glory. A musician sacrifices his hearing later in order to tour in huge arenas playing with "the greats." These are common prices paid for dreams, though they certainly aren't the only ones.
Every choice has a consequence or cost, even small or personal ones. By choosing to eat good food, a person may not enjoy the taste at the moment, but their body will become healthier. Exercising will lead to a healthier body, but it must be done regularly and may eat up a large chunk of every day. By having one parent at home, finances are tighter but the kids get to have more time with their parent. Moving out of the city into the wilderness may mean fresh air and contentedness, but it also means fewer opportunities and less access to entertainment.
In order to gain a result, something must be given. There are several questions you must ask yourself:
- What is my goal/choice/dream?
- What is the sacrifice I have to make in order to gain this?
- Am I willing to pay that price?
Luckily other dreams arrived that had costs I felt I could pay (or was paying already). Writing, even when becoming successful, had costs (and sacrifices) that felt more appropriate for me. Marriage and parenthood have prices (and sacrifices) that are acceptable. I'm willing to give up some possibilities in order to be impressively awesome in these areas. Some dreams really are worth it.
What are sacrifices you've made for your choices or dreams? Leave a comment below!
another negative choice regarding costs... I too decided not to have music as my career. I think I was good enough to make a living and I had a relatively good understanding of what it takes to make a living as a musician but I too was unwilling to pay some of those costs. Professional musicians often have limited choice of the music they play... afterall, somebody has to be willing to pay enough to hear it in order to make a living. That means you are at the mercy of an audience and you play weddings, bars, bar mitzvahs, and any other gig that comes along with whatever set lists that gig requires. It doesn't matter that you hate the Chicken Dance and Get Down Tonight, if you're playing a wedding, they're pretty much required. I wanted to be able to play what I want, where I want. Add to that that I really didn't want to live on the road, and a living playing guitar pretty much evaporated.
ReplyDeleteSo, my music remains my therapy and I struggle even with those costs. I don't play nearly as much as I would like and my skills are not what they were or what they could be if I spent more time practicing, rehearsing, and performing.
Of course, one could also say that I chose to sacrifice that music for family and a career that have given me more fulfillment than I ever dreamt... and that is a choice I am very glad I made.