Is Sacrifice Overrated?

Why do we relate to some success stories more than the others? Why are some people too successful to be inspirational?

Whenever you hear a story of some really successful person, somewhere in the story you hear the word 'sacrifice'. The person has worked hard, has been disciplined, very focussed and has made many sacrifices to reach where he/she is today. Fine, I know it is not easy to be really good but I wonder whether these people even realise that they are sacrificing something. Most of them love what they do so much that they are too engrossed to realise that they are sacrificing anything. Yet, we are always told stories with this gyaan on sacrifice.

That's one reason I like stories which seem more real. Stories which tell me that even I can do it. I, the common man. I like stories where idols seem human. They seem to be people who were like you and me but made it big somehow. When I think of Sachin Tendulkar, beyond a point I cannot relate to his story. H e knew too soon what he wanted to do for me to be able to relate to him. He seems divine and his story also seems very unreal. I mean it is real but not everyone can be Sachin. Maybe no one can be Sachin. But if you look at Dhoni, his story is so much more relateable. The story of Shahrukh Khan is more inspirational because I think his is a rags to riches story which a common man can easily believe and understand. And I don't think they set out making sacrifices. People like Dhoni, Sharukh Khan,Steve Jobbs,BrijMohanlal Munjal etc. lived a life like the one you and I do for a considerable part of their life. They probably wanted to make it big in life but they never seem to have 'sacrificed' some major part of their life to be where they are. In hindsight all the things they could not do seems like a sacrifice but I doubt it occurred to them that they are making a huge sacrifice when they were doing what they were doing.

I am fed up of elders, teachers, coaches, parents etc. lecturing people about sacrifice. If you really love something, you will do it. If you are passionate about something it does not matter what else you don't do. You never think of the opportunity cost. In fact if you are doing something and you constantly think of things you cannot do, please reconsider doing the work you are doing. I doubt thats really what you want to do.

In fact I don't recollect hearing any of these great people even talking about sacrifice. It's always the not-so-great but I-think- I 'm-great-people talk about sacrifice and all that gyaan. In order to glorify themselves they will tell you how difficult it is. They make a simple concept complicated by putting all the adjectives and abstract nouns. In my opinion, the formula is simple -

' Ask what you really want to do with your life. And then start doing that'

No day will seem like work. Never will you think of sacrifice. In fact I think you will never be unhappy. You may crave for wanting to get better, to be faster, to be bigger, to serve more and more people , to create something better each day etc. But you will be happy with what you are doing. I think a person feels enlightened when he knows he wants to die doing the work he is doing. That's when you know what you want. It's a form of nirvana. That's when the world seems so amazing.