“What are the sacrifices you’re willing to make in order to keep your dream alive?”
I remember having a conversation with my Dad one day, as I was beginning my entrepreneurial journey, when he pointed out the importance of making sacrifices in order to keep one’s dream alive.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t fully understand the principles behind his message as well as I do today.
Back then, and maybe to a degree today, I was stubborn.
I wasn’t as open to other ways of thinking or doing things.
If I had a vision or a plan, I was going to follow it my way.
Coloring outside the lines was not in my Arsenal back then.
Today, learning to adjust, listening to other perspectives, and making sacrifices along the way is an essential component to my journey.
For me, making a sacrifice does not mean completely giving up one thing for another.
It is about finding alternative ways to achieve whatever needs to be done while continuing to build my dream.
4 years ago, as I was starting Overcoming Odds, one of the first sacrifices I had to make was to find alternative ways to pay my bills.
It was wishful thinking on my end to think that in year 1, I’d be able to support myself financially.
I had to find alternative income streams to support my wishful thinking 😂
I chose to help business owners with their marketing needs.
This was an area I knew very well.
I was confident in my abilities.
I didn’t want to do it though.
I felt that the time invested into helping other business owners with their marketing needs was not contributing toward my larger dream, building Overcoming Odds.
Well, looking back at it all today, it definitely was.
The time I spent helping others was also the time I used to learn about those individuals.
The work itself gave me an opportunity to demonstrate who I am not only as a worker, but as a person.
Am I dependable?
Am I committed?
Am I genuine in my approach to life?
All of these areas enhanced themselves even more through this work.
In addition, some of those people have become some of my closest supporters years later.
As you think about your own journey, I’m curious to hear your thoughts on, “What are the sacrifices you’re willing to make in order to keep your dream alive? What have you learned about yourself from making those sacrifices?”
