The Significance of Sacrifice
Recently I've not been prioritizing my future self as much as I know I should be. I've been living for the moment entirely too much. And although it can be a good thing to live in the moment, there's a fine line we all must gracefully balance in order to succeed in the long run. If I don't 'feel' like going to the gym, I don't. If I don't feel like getting up and spending 20 minutes cooking a healthy, home cooked meal, I won't. If I don't really feel like going and spending time with loved ones and friends, I'll stay at home and binge watch Netflix all day long.
And the thing is, I've been justifying this behavior as 'self care'. L O L.
Truthfully, this whole 'self care' movement is utter bull. We're emphasizing taking care of ourselves when really, a lot of the things that we're categorizing as 'self care' is really just glamorized self-sabotage. We've got to learn to counter the so-called 'self-care' with self-discipline, and that's when we will thrive.
I don't know about you, but I'm constantly looking at the goals I've set for myself as if they're optional. "Eh, I know I told myself I'd get in the gym at least four times this week, but Lo, if you don't feel like it.... You don't have to go." Which is true... But it's not getting you anywhere in the long haul. We need to stop pushing our goals and our ideal selves on the back burner. We've got to stop focusing so much on how our goals & items on our to-do lists inconvenience our 'now', and start remembering how much these small sacrifices will ultimately end up helping us reach our potentials.
The worst part about not realizing the significance of sacrifice is that then we end up just digging ourselves a deeper hole and running around in circles with ourselves. We sit around all day, not seeing the impact of everything piling up around us. We don't want to do the dishes because we're too comfortable on the couch, we don't want to do the laundry, or the gym thing, or anything. But then when we get up off the couch or out of bed, we look around us at the mess we've made and we get even more overwhelmed... Then, back to bed we go.
Not sacrificing in the short term leads to more stress & anxiety in the long run.
Of course, this is easier said than done. When you're going through these difficulties, and you don't have the motivation or discipline to help get yourself out of the funk, here are a few things that you could do to help get your 'umph' back.
One - What kind of person do you see yourself being? Do you see yourself as the organized, 'got-it-all-together' type of person? The person that other people think to go to when they need workout ideas or inspiration? Write down ways that you can get closer to the person you want to be, and then don't let anything get in your way. Not the excuses, not the anxiety, not the doubt...
Amelia Earhart once said "The most effective way to do it, is to just do it."
Two - Practice gratitude. This sounds a little cheesy and a lot cliche, but when you begin to realize how much there is to be thankful for in your life, you'll feel compelled to start focusing & acting more on these things. For instance, if you recognize and are grateful for the fact that you have the ability to walk or exercise in general, you'll feel much more humbled about going to the gym instead of sitting down all day. Likewise, if you are grateful for the fact that you have fresh chicken and veggies in the fridge to eat, instead of nothing, you'll be more apt to get up and make that food rather than treating yourself on the daily.
Three - Start telling yourself that you're worth the sacrifice. Sometimes, you might feel a little less than adequate. You may not feel that you're actually worth investing in. But let me remind you -- you are! You're worth more than constant self-sabotage & stress. You're worth more than allowing yourself mediocre comfort rather than reaching your potential. There's something to be said about someone who has a strong sense of self, who recognizes their worth, and who works hard to attain their own idea of who they want to be.
Discipline can be difficult to come across when you're not challenging yourself enough to attain it. This week, I want to challenge you guys to sacrifice for your future self. Work hard to become the woman or man that you've always wanted to be. Some things can knock us down in life, but the best way to overcome these adversities is to rise up. Don't sit around and wait for motivation to come to you -- because it never will. Don't wait for someone else to validate you for you to get up and make a change in your life. Like Nike & Amelia Earhart said, just get out there and do it. No excuses, no fallacies, not for anyone but yourself.
I hope this can help someone this week. I hope you all have a great week this week! xx
And the thing is, I've been justifying this behavior as 'self care'. L O L.
Truthfully, this whole 'self care' movement is utter bull. We're emphasizing taking care of ourselves when really, a lot of the things that we're categorizing as 'self care' is really just glamorized self-sabotage. We've got to learn to counter the so-called 'self-care' with self-discipline, and that's when we will thrive.
I don't know about you, but I'm constantly looking at the goals I've set for myself as if they're optional. "Eh, I know I told myself I'd get in the gym at least four times this week, but Lo, if you don't feel like it.... You don't have to go." Which is true... But it's not getting you anywhere in the long haul. We need to stop pushing our goals and our ideal selves on the back burner. We've got to stop focusing so much on how our goals & items on our to-do lists inconvenience our 'now', and start remembering how much these small sacrifices will ultimately end up helping us reach our potentials.
The worst part about not realizing the significance of sacrifice is that then we end up just digging ourselves a deeper hole and running around in circles with ourselves. We sit around all day, not seeing the impact of everything piling up around us. We don't want to do the dishes because we're too comfortable on the couch, we don't want to do the laundry, or the gym thing, or anything. But then when we get up off the couch or out of bed, we look around us at the mess we've made and we get even more overwhelmed... Then, back to bed we go.
Not sacrificing in the short term leads to more stress & anxiety in the long run.
Of course, this is easier said than done. When you're going through these difficulties, and you don't have the motivation or discipline to help get yourself out of the funk, here are a few things that you could do to help get your 'umph' back.
One - What kind of person do you see yourself being? Do you see yourself as the organized, 'got-it-all-together' type of person? The person that other people think to go to when they need workout ideas or inspiration? Write down ways that you can get closer to the person you want to be, and then don't let anything get in your way. Not the excuses, not the anxiety, not the doubt...
Amelia Earhart once said "The most effective way to do it, is to just do it."
Two - Practice gratitude. This sounds a little cheesy and a lot cliche, but when you begin to realize how much there is to be thankful for in your life, you'll feel compelled to start focusing & acting more on these things. For instance, if you recognize and are grateful for the fact that you have the ability to walk or exercise in general, you'll feel much more humbled about going to the gym instead of sitting down all day. Likewise, if you are grateful for the fact that you have fresh chicken and veggies in the fridge to eat, instead of nothing, you'll be more apt to get up and make that food rather than treating yourself on the daily.
Three - Start telling yourself that you're worth the sacrifice. Sometimes, you might feel a little less than adequate. You may not feel that you're actually worth investing in. But let me remind you -- you are! You're worth more than constant self-sabotage & stress. You're worth more than allowing yourself mediocre comfort rather than reaching your potential. There's something to be said about someone who has a strong sense of self, who recognizes their worth, and who works hard to attain their own idea of who they want to be.
Discipline can be difficult to come across when you're not challenging yourself enough to attain it. This week, I want to challenge you guys to sacrifice for your future self. Work hard to become the woman or man that you've always wanted to be. Some things can knock us down in life, but the best way to overcome these adversities is to rise up. Don't sit around and wait for motivation to come to you -- because it never will. Don't wait for someone else to validate you for you to get up and make a change in your life. Like Nike & Amelia Earhart said, just get out there and do it. No excuses, no fallacies, not for anyone but yourself.
I hope this can help someone this week. I hope you all have a great week this week! xx
I found myself giggling and muttering "That's so very true" at some points you made in this blog post. (And I mean that as a compliment! It hit home.) The part that really rang true for me the most is getting up off the couch, looking around, feeling overwhelmed, and hitting the couch again. I was thinking about life yesterday, and that word came to mind "overwhelming." But you're right - as easy as it is to just lay on the couch and not do anything, you must pick yourself up, be your own friend, and do what needs to be done FOR YOU. It's hard to peel yourself off the couch, but once you take the steps to do what needs to be done, you feel better for it. This was a good "tough love talk" I needed today. Thank you for writing! Consider me a new follower!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the read, the support, & the follow Dorothy! I'm happy that you're able to relate to this and that this helped you today. Lots of love! ❤
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