When we hear the word sacrifice, we often think of completely
selfless acts in which someone does something for another entirely for the
other person's benefit. The image of a soldier sacrificing his life for his
comrades frequently comes to mind. But sacrifice isn't purely selfless. The
best definition of sacrifice is one that I found in American Heritage
Dictionary: "To forfeit something
for something else considered to have a greater value." Sacrifice does not mean giving up something
for nothing; it means giving up one thing for something else we believe is
worth more, "a greater value."
This means a leader who lays down his life for his family or for his team has
chosen to place more value on their lives than on his own.
In The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John C. Maxwell points out
that the Law of Sacrifice says, "A
leader must give up to go up." A leader cannot achieve and get
something without giving up something in return. In order to attain something
you believe is of greater value, you must give up something you believe is of
lesser value. Our society today tries to minimize sacrifice at every turn,
promising people that they can fulfill their desires without having to forsake
anything at all. "Lose weight
without giving up your favorite foods!" "Get ripped without long
workouts!" "Get rich without having to work hard!" All of
these are fantasies! Leaders understand that there is always a price to pay.
Time, energy, money, commitment – all require sacrifice. Without hard work,
pain, turmoil, commotion, anxiety, stress, and tension, there is no growth, no
change. You must pay the price!
Here are three (3) ways to think about sacrifice:
Sacrifice Leads to Success: Its sacrifice, during all those hours of training
that equips you to hang in there against all odds. Sacrifice and self-denial
lie behind every success.
Use Failure as Stepping Stones: It hurts to fall short of a goal. However, when you
use a failure to your advantage, it can become merely a stepping stone on the
road to victory.
Pay the Price: Greatness is worth the cost. Great achievements
require courage, determination, drive, and a willingness to pay the price.
THINK BIG.
START SMALL. GO DEEP.
No comments:
Post a Comment