January 18 - 24

I've sort of been thinking about sacrifices this week. I kind of talked about it last week, but I'm planning on a new direction.

There are a lot of sacrifices in life. Some are small, some you can't get past without some sort of note. Pretty much all sacrifices have some negative effect. However, what most people don't immediately associate with sacrifices is the positive outcome from every single one. Just think about every sacrifice you have ever made in your life. There are a lot, from giving your little brother your cookie to giving up all your time to raise a child (I'm aware, some of us haven't made this sacrifice yet, but we will). From giving away your cookie, you saw sheer happiness and you are regarded higher by your brother. From raising a child, you have given someone a happy life and had fun yourself, at times. No matter the sacrifice, there is something positive that comes from the event and your reaction.

However, sometimes it is very difficult to find the happy part. A sacrifice can be a trial. The difference that i see between them is often you choose your sacrifices. With trials, you don't pick who/what is going to hurt you and why. But with sacrifices, there is usually the option of what to give away and whether or not to do it in the first place. If you don't see the good part, think about why you gave whatever it was away. Usually, there is a reason. If not, stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about who you helped. Time for some examples, kiddies.

Time can be a huge sacrifice. Every day around 5:00 pm, my mother starts "reminding" my brother and I about practicing the piano. Often, it doesn't happen because we don't want to sacrifice our time, energy, and brain power. However, there is the rare occasion where we do decide that our lives are just waiting away, and we might as do something, no matter how dull it is. If this ritual of actually doing something repeats itself, there starts to be a change. All the sudden, the songs sound better, and our fingers begin to flow effortlessly across the keys. We did sacrifice some of our nap time, but we gained some skill. True, this is kind of a lame example. Let's go back to raising a child.

Generally, a person decides to have a child before it happens. From the second that child is conceived, there are a lot of sacrifices being made. The mother has to deal with cravings, mood swings and a huge belly. This is followed by a great amount of pain. Next up is stinky diapers and not being able to sleep through the night, only to be followed by flinging food everywhere and running around everywhere. Things change, and eventually the parents are left up with curfews, homework, dating, and outrageous car insurance. That sure is a lot of sacrifices, and those aren't even the half of them. Positive outcome? Most parents will admit that it is hard to see at times. At others, it is totally apparent. Raising a child makes you stronger, opens your eyes to new things and gives you a new friend.

Next time you're groping over a sacrifice, think. Did you have a decision whether to take this on or not? Why did you? How did you help others? This will add a bright side to your life and help you be more optimistic in all things.