A fact that can take people time to realize is that sacrifice is required to achieve anything worth doing in life. Regardless of the goal or dream you’re trying to accomplish, you will ultimately have to give up something to allow it to become a reality. Here are a few things you should start giving up immediately in your pursuit of success and overall happiness.
Anyone Else’s Definition of Success
When we are growing up in school and with our friends and family, our definition of success often becomes skewed by what others think it might be. Certain ideals are put up on a pedestal, and we think there is only one true definition of success. The sooner you can lose this idea, the better. Everyone’s definition of success is different. If someone is a billionaire and considers themselves successful because of their money, it doesn’t mean that you have to be a billionaire to be considered successful.
While giving up this singular definition of success can be difficult, once you do you feel a freedom unlike anything you’ve experienced before. It will enable you to live a life where you are fully expressing yourself according to what only matters to you.
Block Out Those Who Judge
It is inevitable for anybody that has a goal or dream in life – You will be judged. People will say they don’t understand. They’ll question what you’re doing and ask why you’re not doing something else. In order to be successful, you have to block out these people. In fact, it is the fear of being judged in the first place that makes most people not take a shot at their dream. The only person that has to believe that what you are doing is meaningful and valuable is you. At the end of the day, when we believe this, it is what enables us to be at our very best.
Learn to Live with the Past
Everyone has a past. This includes great experiences, as well as ones we wish would disappear from our memory. So, because it’s impossible to forget the past, it’s essential to give up any kind of resentment or ill will you have towards it. When you are able to do this, much like blocking out those who judge you, it will give you a sense of peacefulness and freedom that makes its way into everything you do.
When you give up certain things in life, it can feel like a hole is being created. The beauty of this, however, is that you are creating an opening for so many wonderful things to enter your life. An important life lesson that I learned in high school is that we must cut down to grow back stronger. To become successful, you have to make sacrifices now to live a more happy and fulfilled life in the future.