About Me

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Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia
I'm a guy who's trying to find my way around the world and trying to find what is the purpose of my existence, and I'm growing old day by day.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Compromise or Sacrifice?

Compromise or sacrifice. What is the difference between these two words, or are they the same? Indeed there is a big difference between these two words. Compromise is about lowering our demands and expectations on people or the things we want, while Sacrifice is about giving up something in order to get something even bigger. So which one of these gives you more happiness? Let us examine both of them a little more.

The word “compromise” is an interesting concept. Somewhere along our lives, many of us have come to believe that compromise is the only way to keep the peace and stay happy. In reality, compromise causes frustration and unhappiness simply because you cannot have your cake and eat it too! I got this quote from someone. He says, “If you limit your choices only to what seem possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want and all that is left is compromise.”

It is in my belief that the best and only way to find peace and happiness is through making “sacrifice”. But do not get me wrong. I am not advocating sainthood as the way to happiness and fulfillment although at first glance it may seem so. Be assured I am not asking you to live a martyr’s life where you sacrifice the pleasures of life! Certainly, I am not planning for this route nor do I think this is the only route to gain life fulfillment (or to reach heaven to be with the stars). I am simply a human being trying to find and live a life of purpose and meaning.

So where does sacrifice fit into living a happy and fulfilling life? This question will probably answer it well: “What are you willing to GIVE UP in order to have the life you want?” in other words, what are you willing to SACRIFICE so you can have what you want most of your life?

Ask anyone who has “made well” in life and they will tell you the things they had to give up in order to “get there”. In their account, you will also hear of the “this and that” of what they had to do, or in short, the sacrifices they had to put up with as well.

So this is true for everything we dearly want, be in financial or career goal, making a relationship work or following your heart. All of these things require sacrifice and not compromise. If you are serious about having something different in your life you have to be in it a 100%; anything else is a compromise and you will most likely suffer through the whole or deal with before giving up.

In my reckoning the first question you need to answer is this question: “Is my heart in this?” if the answer is “NO” then its game over. Be kind to yourself and save yourself a load of unnecessary struggle and grief by finding something else you are passionate about.

So what do you love doing and are passionate about? In trying to answer this for yourself it’s important to remember that everyone is different and everyone has a place and purpose to fulfil in this lifetime, otherwise they simply would not exist! So back to the question: what sacrifice are you willing to make in order to get it?