Sacrifice

What is the most that you've had to sacrifice for a job?

For me it would be a toss up between the following:

• Working a 21 hour (straight) shift with just one 30 minute break doing an emergency construction job at the Boundary Bay Airport.


• Dropping a 100 lb manhole lid on my finger and losing a finger nail.


• Missing a 2 week family vacaction to New York because I had just started a new job.


• Developing severe seasonal asthma after working spending an entire month cutting grass. I'm highly allergic to grass.

In retrospect I don't resent any of these experiences. In fact I appreciate them because they built character. In addition I'm so much more appreciative of the job that I currently have because I actually have a passion for what I do and my worst day at Innovative Fitness is better than my best day at some of these other occupations.

I have recently become a huge fan of the television show "The Ultimate Fighter". Not for the amazing story line or captivating characters; I find the show to be fascinating because these guys are willing to have their face beaten in just for the chance to receive a contract with the UFC. And this isn't exactly winning the lottery. New and unproven fighters scrap and claw for years making poor money just trying to build the record and credibility to start earning the big bucks. Would you be willing to put your body on the line and have teeth knocked out and a cauliflower ear develop simply to earn a shot to progress in your career? There will always be the argument: "Yeah, well these mixed martial arts guys are people with nothing to lose who have zero going for them in their lives". Last time I checked Rich Franklin had a degree from the University of Cincinnati in math and a master's degree in education. Forrest Griffin graduated with a political science degree from the University of Georgia. They started at the bottom just like everyone else. The reason why individuals such as these are successful = passion and sacrifice.

The next time you have a long day at work and things aren't going your way remember the story of Rich and Forrest. They are equally or more educated than most of us and still decided to grind it out and commit years of their life to training without any guarantees. Is the person beside you going to beat you because they were willing to go the extra mile and you weren't? I hope not.