This week I have been having a number of conversations about sacrifice with a wide range of emerging talent from a variety of different disciplines.
When I refer to sacrifice, I’m talking about ‘giving up something or many things you may value for the sake of something of great value to you.’ The top and bottom of it for all those seeking mastery or to reach an elite level in anything is you will have to sacrifice something to get there – maybe multiple other wants and sometimes needs you will have. Whether that be relationships, money, social time, sleep… And I’m not saying that this is fair or right, but I do know that this is facts. Something has to give.
I know when I was a young man trying to do all I could do to be a professional athlete, I missed out on a lot. Did that guarantee me obtaining my end goal? No. I didn’t become a professional athlete. BUT if I didn’t make the sacrifice, I wouldn’t have reached the level I got to! And that is the tension I guess. Are you willing to sacrifice anything and sometimes nearly everything to be able to get as close to your dream as possible, even without a guarantee? I believe all the masters do, but will you?
By Yaw Owusu