5. Any baggage related to the past
We all have a past. It’s filled with wonderful experiences, grief, and horrible things:
Bosses we hatedAn ex or two that pulled the rug out from under us and our self-worth.People who caused shit storms in our lives and left us to pick up all the pieces.We’ve lost people dear to us, keenly feeling the fragility of life.The past is something that’s already happened and can never be changed. At some point, you have to give up whatever resentment you have towards people, circumstances, and experiences from your past. Otherwise, your future starts to look an awful lot like your past.
When you give all that up, you end up ditching a lot of baggage. You walk through the world with a sense of lightness, peace, and freedom that makes its way into everything else that you do.
For years I was pissed off about all the bosses who fired me. When I finally gave up being pissed off, I realized these people had given me a gift, and lit a fire under my a--. I wouldn’t be doing what I am if it hadn’t been for their firing me.
“just because someone screwed up your past, it doesn’t mean you should give them permission to screw up your future.” — Zig Ziglar
Giving things up isn’t just about sacrifice. It’s also about gain. When you give things up you create an opening in your life for other things. By saying no to everything that’s not aligned with your essential priorities you make space for what it is.
If you want to live life on your terms, in the long run, you might have to give some things up in the short term. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a masochist and make your life a living hell. It just means that you will have to sacrifice something that you value less than whatever it is you ultimately want.
You sacrifice comfort and security in the present, for uncertainty and a greater sense of possibility in the future.
- My business partner Brian gave up a salary and a steady paycheck at one company for a commission only sales position at another one. His income tripled.
- The things I mentioned above are just a few that I’ve had to give up over the last 9 years. But by giving up those things in the short run, I get to live on my terms in the long run. On occasion, I’ve made more for an hour of speaking than I did in a month at a day job.
- One of my friends gave up living in California and surfing every day. Even though he had to move to Maryland, that meant that he got to see his daughter every day. You can’t really put a price on something like that.
Ultimately it’s up to you to define the meaning of success and what you’re willing to give up in order to have it. There is no formula. But you will sacrifice. Just make sure that as Emile Hirsch said in The Girl Next Door,“the juice is worth the squeeze.”
Read the original article on Medium. Copyright 2017.
