What Are You Willing to Sacrifice?

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SETTING THE SCENE

CalmUp® photo of smoked pigI was at our friends’ home for a pig roast—kosher, I know. For some reason, I felt moved to take a photo of the smoked pig before we cut into him. I told my friend, Karen Brass (see Noteworthy Story March 2012 and What’s New?), that the photo would likely end up in a blog. Karen then suggested an appropriate blog title, What Are You Willing to Sacrifice?

I must have tucked that question into my subconscious…

HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED

I awoke at 1:30 AM to the realization that CalmUp® was over. This wasn’t just a possible option; this was a definitive decision based on solid reasoning:

1.    I thought that I wasn’t living my priority as a wife.
2.    I thought that I wasn’t living my priority as a mom.
3.    I had developed a business plan but so far seemed to mostly have a hobby.

How could I preach buzzing when I found myself clearly busy? The weekend was over, and I hadn’t done my laundry, cleaned the bathroom, planned meals, or worked in the garden. What was I willing to sacrifice?

THE DARK NIGHT

My middle of the night grief reaction was intense. After pacing and crying, I grabbed pen and paper. Sitting down under the bathroom night light, I wrote a thoughtful goodbye letter to the CalmUp® community.

Then I cried in my husband’s arms. I reset my alarm for an extra 90 minutes of sleep. The last time I saw the clock, it was 3:30 AM.

WHAT I LEFT OUT

I overlooked the fact that I worked an extra 25 hours at the day job during the previous two weeks. It’s easy to forget relevant details in the middle of the night.

THE OUTCOME

I was willing to sacrifice my passion for CalmUp® because of my own fears. Fortunately, I never sent out the letter. I learned from my son that my quitting CalmUp® would be like him quitting band. “Mom, you’ve already put in all of the hard work. Now you’ve just got to find a group of people [who want your services].”

It looks like I’ll be sacrificing a well-run household. The next thing I know, I see my son doing the dishes without being asked.

IT’S ABOUT YOU and we’d love to hear what you have to say:

  1. What are your top 3 priorities?
  2. What have you chosen to sacrifice in order to reach your dreams?
  3. What do you think about the notion of sacrifice—is it necessary? Important? Dated?