Paying the Price Now vs Later_ Reward and Sacrifice

In a world that glamorizes instant gratification and overspending, it's refreshing to know that going without can actually be cool again. Instead of having everything all at once, the intelligent person knows how to do the math and realizes that sacrificing now can lead to having everything later.

Going without can teach discipline and dedication to work towards what you want most, rather than what you want in the moment

In life, everyone must pay a price in terms of time, energy, and money. Choosing to pay the price now, rather than later, can lead to a more rewarding and fulfilling life in the long run. By investing in ourselves and our goals, we are setting the stage for a future where the rewards far outweigh the initial sacrifices.

The decision to pay the price now allows us to reap the benefits sooner, and can ultimately lead to a smoother, more enjoyable journey towards our goals. By working diligently and committing to the process, we're building a foundation that will support a life where our hard work and determination pay off in spades.

When the day comes that our entire life is paying us back for the efforts we've put in, the ride downhill will feel effortless and gratifying. Embracing the concept of paying the price upfront can be a game-changer for personal growth and overall success.

Everything in life is a value exchange. You think about resource allocation when you consider which strategies to apply to get to your end goal. You make decisions about what to do and what not to do to gain rewards and make it to the finish line. The primary resources you’re exchanging are energy, time, and money. You cannot receive without giving something up. This is simply the universal law. In your Game, you have to make sacrifices to gain rewards. Your reward is calculated based on whatever you’ve given up – energy, time, money, and/or opportunities. 

You can sacrifice resources at your Game’s front end and stack them up for later use. Doing this allows you to sacrifice early on to reap greater rewards later in your Game. When you're allocating and stacking resources and working towards your vision, your focus cannot be on immediate rewards. Instead, you must focus on and pay into an end target without considering what you’ll be rewarded with before then. Your reward comes much later. You are paying into your future, and into your future self. The bigger your goal, the more you must pay into it today. 

We must all make sacrifices to get where we want to go. The question is, “What will you choose to sacrifice?” In your life, your sacrifices might come in varying shapes. The Universe recognizes them all. Think of it as putting skin in your Game. When you put some skin in your Game and give something up, the Universe knows to step up and reward you. Once you show you are willing to put your skin in your Game, the Universe rewards you in big and small ways. I've seen it happen so many times. 

I have a mentor who recently admitted to me over dinner that he lived at home until he was in his mid 30s. Now, he is worth over 100 million dollars. Although he started becoming successful while living at home, he decided to stay there as part of his resource allocation strategy. He didn't care how it looked or what other people thought about him. Even though it was a sacrifice, he lived at home because it was the smartest use of his resources at that time. It required him to go against the grain and endure being mocked. Most people wouldn’t be willing to make this kind of sacrifice because they wouldn’t be able to see beyond the discomfort to the reward potential it is lining up. If you allocate your resources and make sacrifices, the Universe rewards you. The Universe matches your sacrifices with rewards every single time. You just need a little bit of patience to see it. 

You are also rewarded in other ways when you work hard and make sacrifices. Sacrificing now is easier on your body, physically and mentally, and requires less energy in the end. When you’re younger, you’re at your healthiest and your character is its most capable. You also have more time and energy to allocate towards opportunities that are part of your path. The younger you are when you start making sacrifices and allocating resources, the less sacrifices you’ll have to make overall to complete your journey. Putting work in on the front end is easier on your character and makes your entire journey easier.

Ultimately, playing your Game involves making all sorts of choices about your resources. If you play your cards right, you’ll be able to line up your resources and allocate them in a way that serves you and who you want to become in the long run. Your decisions in your Game should be guided by this above all else. 

As you level up and progress in your Game, you will find it easier to allocate resources. Your sacrifices will also be less significant. You’ll begin stacking resources more than sacrificing them and rewards will start to show up. As your position in your Game improves, so too do your rewards. Depending on your journey, your rewards may appear in various forms. Rewards for hard work often appear in a financial form and all rewards are plentiful. If you’ve connected to your soul’s purpose and played your Game well, your greatest reward will be who you’ve become.