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Sometimes in life we reach a point where we have to make a decision. For one path - and against another.
This can be a simple question such as:
Do I go to the party today or stay at home?
Or it can be a complex question such as:
Do I file for divorce or not?
Such questions are not easy, because we know that depending on what we decide, there will be different consequences. Some are clear, some uncertain. Some promise gain, others loss. Such moments
are often uncomfortable, sometimes even painful. Because they challenge us to consciously accept a loss – or in other words, they challenge us to give up on something. Because the conscious decision turns the loss into an intentional sacrifice.
What we give up on can be many different things. If we decide against something, we may lose an opportunity or an experience. But we may also lose something that has been part of our lives for a
long time.
Our first reaction in such situations is often resistance. We want to be able to have everything. Not having to make a decision. Finding a way to perhaps “get around it” – without having to lose
anything. Because loss hurts: we are reluctant to let go of what we once had. And what we don't yet have remains a silent longing or a feeling of incompleteness within us.
But in reality, it is impossible to live a life without losing anything. If only because life itself ends with the loss of one's own life. Life means change. Without loss, there is no change. So
much as we may squirm and try to avoid it:
Loss catches up with us all.
And that is precisely what makes intentional sacrifice so powerful.
Behind intentional sacrifice lies not only loss, but also conscious decision-making.
The moment we have to choose, it becomes clearer than ever what we really want. Ultimatums, clear boundaries, or situations in which there is
simply no “both/and” can act as an inner compass. We are faced with a choice, and we are allowed to decide for ourselves:
- Which values are more important to me?
- Which experience is more meaningful to me?
- What is so right for us that we are willing to accept a loss for it?
Such moments do not call on us to lose ourselves. On the contrary: they call on us to take responsibility for ourselves.
We can not only experience the pain of loss, but also the strength of our own will. We can learn to see ourselves more clearly: in what we really want. In what we really need. In what we really
are.
And sometimes something unexpected happens: the moment we consciously give something up, we develop a deeper awareness of what we already have. We focus less on what is missing and more on what
we already have.
It is a widespread misconception that a fulfilled life is only possible if we have as much as possible. More things, more options, more possibilities. But not everything that is possible is good
for us. And not everything we could have is something we really need.
Sometimes it is precisely the intentional sacrifice that gives us freedom - the freedom not to lose ourselves in abundance, but to find
ourselves in clarity.
So the next time you are faced with a decision to give something up, ask yourself: What does this moment reveal about me? And what is so important to me that I am willing to let go of something
else for it?
The insights you gain will not only help you in this moment – they can serve as a guide for your entire life.