Each of us has sets of opportunities and limitations that are individually peculiar to each person. So, even when you start a journey with someone, making a comparison of your journey with that person may not entail all the multi-dimensions of the price that each of you had to pay on that journey.
It's easy to look at someone who's highly rich and feel like you also deserve to be as rich as that person. That's quite understandable, but do you also notice that this insanely rich person worked 60 hours per week for 35 years before reaching that height? Some even ended up having a long list of messed up relationships with their family and friends.
None of us are fully aware of what people had to sacrifice to get where they are. So, being envious of the life people are living is not always helpful.
I look at my own life and the journey I've had to go through in several areas of life. Since I've been very focused on building wealth and growing into a decent young man with self-control, self-respect, and high cognitive ability, I've also had to make a lot of sacrifices to get to where I am at the moment.
That's why this question of "What price did you have to pay to be who you are today" is an appealing one to me.
Here are some of the prices I've had to pay;
1. Keeping a safe distance from Alcohol & Smoking.
For the record, I have no problem with anyone who takes alcohol, as long as the person takes it in moderation. The ones I can't deal with are folks that take it till they drop dead because they lack the self-awareness or self-control needed to step away when they have taken a fair amount. I know I've seen people make regrettable decisions because they are high and I've also seen people get exposed to avoidable catastrophic situations because they are high.
I wouldn't want any of that. So, regardless of the thrill that comes from taking alcohol, I've made a decision to never take it. That has been the way I've been living my life since I became an adult and I have been doing a good job of sticking to the decision.
2. Being Around Family.
This is an uninspiring price to pay because you want to achieve things in life. It's even more sad because I have an adorable family. I respect my Dad, love my mum, and adore my siblings. Yet, I barely get to see any of them in a year. At some point last year, I decided to pause everything and went home to meet my family. The visit only lasted for a week after more than two years spent without seeing any of them.
Having to live away from home is something that became part of me when I left home at the age of 11 to live in a boarding school. From that moment till now, I've had to live away from home for one reason or another. Each of the reasons can be summed up as a journey towards self-improvement and a hunt for success.
The reality is that I'm still far from where I really want to be yet I'm dealing with the direct and indirect burden that comes from the price I've had to pay so far. Hehe. I have no regrets though. I only want to look back at the steps I took and be proud of the price I've had to pay.
Thanks For Not Missing Any Full-stop or Comma.
Thumbnail Image is mine, taken with my phone camera.