Most of the time I hear the word sacrifice, my mind goes negative. I’m human, and American, and from a long line of Flemings who seem to look at what is wrong with the picture before seeing what is great about it. I’ve been socialized and created my own bad habits. Based on these few associations, the word sacrifice brings out the dark voices in my head. The idea of giving up an old habit or ideal for one that is better, is a daunting task. It probably doesn’t have to  be though. For example,  if today, someone offered me a new BMW in exchange for my Escape, I’d be pretty stoked. I would be sacrificing my loyalty to my current vehicle, the investment I’ve made in it, and my excellent gas mileage, among other things. My insurance would likely increase and I’d certainly expend more time caring for the new beauty. I didn’t have to do a mental checklist to know that I would snap up that BMW in a second. So, why when we make a decision to commit to an exercise prescription, a different style of eating, more creative spending habits, a relationship, or in my case giving up fries and chips as my recovery foods, do we hesitate to sacrifice? My belief is that it’s all a matter of perspective. PS: I’m not sure I have expressed my deep love for french fries and chips of all kinds. I’m truly non biased when it comes to french fries. Oh boy, the thought is making my mouth water right now!!

Anyway, too often we view sacrifice as something we are giving up versus what there is to gain. This can be in reference to what we do for ourselves as well as others.

Let’s observe my fry/chip dilemma.

Picture this: A possible scenario for first conversation with myself, of course, about the sacrifice of delectable fried potato goodness

Me: “This month I ‘d like a challenge”

Me #2: “Oooh, what kind of challenge are you thinking of?”

Me: “I’m thinking maybe something diet related. I’ve been been bored with my choices.”

Me #2: “What about something that will help you recover from workouts more efficiently and add variety?”

Me: “That sounds awesome! I could work on perfecting my post workout shakes. It’d also be cool to check out some new recipe sites for some new anti-inflammatory, recovery foods. I haven’t done a ton of research in that area before.”

Ok, now what really happened:

Me (Texting to my pal Stacey): “Do you think I can give up chips and fries for December?”

Stacey:  ”Are non fried potatoes allowed. And that includes sweet potato fries?”

Me: “Yep, I will still bake potatoes, but no ‘fries’”

Stacey: “So hard. But of course you can do it…”

This isn’t the most negative conversation of all time, but you get the gist of where we were going. I clearly wasn’t seeing this as a positive. Each scenario gives a completely different outlook on how my December will go.

What’s the take-away? If we frame our conversations around sacrifice and commitment in the light of the potential benefits instead of the pitfalls, we are more likely to succeed. In fact, we might even enjoy it!

What do you want to gain in your life that requires a sacrifice to be made?