Sacrifice: What You must Lose to Win

According to John Fitzgerald Kennedy, ‘Democracy is a difficult kind of government. It requires the highest qualities of self-discipline, restraint, a willingness to make commitments and sacrifices for the general interest, and it also requires knowledge.’

Sacrifice is one of the requirements of great success in life. If men currently at the top would talk about their experience towards getting to where they are today, they mostly mention what they had to forgo in order to get there. Bill Gates, the Microsoft man would have to talk about taking the risk of dropping out of school just to chase a dream; similarly Mark Zuckerberg, the popular owner of Facebook will give a similar account of how he risked stopping school just to start Facebook. In essence, one thing common to the people at the top of the success ladder is what they laid down to get to where they are. It’s not necessary money in this case, it might be time and as well as money, it might also be a strategic decision, leaving home and family to seek greener pasture, denying yourself of fun or any other thing.

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In the words of the former military ruler Idi Amin, ‘In any country, there must be people who have to die. They are the sacrifices any nation has to make to achieve law and order.’ In essence, it’s not only in business, finances, family, state or more one has to make sacrifices, even a country has to make a sacrifice to get to where they want to be. 

This brings about the memory of Singapore under the leadership of Lee Yuan Kew. Then, Singapore fought for independence from the British and they got it. Malaysia, Korea, China and some other Asian states were together with Singapore at that time and Singapore relied so much on the resources of these countries especially water and industry. These countries decided to secede from Singapore and this took Singapore off balance as they depended so much on these countries facilities. When the countries eventually left, Lee Yuan Kew who was the prime minister had to excuse himself from the country for about six months in order to think of the way forward, on getting back, while he accepted the fact of their lack of natural resources, he acknowledged the presence of human resources. 

They decided to make the government conducive for everyone, made the economy friendly and welcoming to investors, and even had to map out a design of how to provide water for their country. Though it took years to manifest, a lot of suffering, imbalances and sacrifices, however, they became one of the world most coveted countries and the envy of immigrants.

Results for sacrifices made for a particular purpose may not manifest immediately or in years to come, however, they eventually come.

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In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, ‘My service to my people is part of the discipline to which I subject myself to in order to free my soul from the bonds of the flesh...For me the path of salvation leads through the unceasing tribulation in the service of my fellow countrymen and humanity’. It took a lot of actions and sacrifices from Mahatma Ghandi to emancipate the people of India from mental slavery and also to put an end to the frivolities and corruption of the government at his time. He got most of his wishes granted through fasting, whereby he will not eat for days to protest for a decision he believes is not right. Most times he gets his wishes granted and he is well known, remembered and even worshiped. 

Getting popular or great takes a lot of sacrifices. That ladder is too tall, the distance is not small, the number of setbacks and unnecessary luggage you need to drop are much in order to accomplish the journey and get to where you are going. Dropping this takes a lot of sacrifice, letting go of frivolities, putting eyes away from momentary enjoyment, this may be hard truly, but it can be done. You will eventually have time to do whatever you want to do at the end of it all. The goal is to achieve and accomplish in record time.

I remembered when I was in the University, whenever the semester starts, I play with my friends, we watch films and play games, immediately I take my first lecture for that particular semester, every type of play stops and serious reading starts. Of course this was difficult, not having time to play football, PES or Winning Eleven, watch the latest movies and the likes, however, it all paid off. I fully got the reward for my sacrifices, they were worth it. I never regretted not rocking my university days as some would want us to believe.

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Henry Highland Garnet says, ‘However much you and all of us may desire it, there is not much hope of redemption without the shedding of blood. If you must bleed, let it all come at once—rather die freemen, than live to be slaves.’

Sacrifices made by men of old brought about the independence we seem to enjoy today, what do we plan to do that will be significant to the generations to come. Remember the words of Bill Gates, ‘If you were born poor, it’s not your fault, but if you die poor, it’s your fault’. You might have met a poor generation, poverty-stricken parents, a clueless government, probably because your fathers refused to sacrifice anything for your generation to enjoy, however, should that cluelessness and ineffectiveness continue. Will you also leave nothing for the generations to come. What exactly would you be remembered for, what lives would you have changed or affected. You would either be remembered for the problems you solved or the ones you created – Anonymous.

It is a far, far, better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far, better rest that I go to, than I have ever known - Charles Dickens. Remember, sacrifice makes you disciplined. It guides you in picking the things you want to do and don’t want to do. You wouldn’t have sacrificed a lot and use stupidity or indiscipline to scatter it. Therefore, be ready to let go a lot of things in order to get to where you are going. Sacrifices don’t kill, they only bring about great things.

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There are in every generation those who shrink from the ultimate sacrifice, but there are in every generation those who make it with joy and laughter and these are the salt of the generations - Patrick Pearse

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