The leaves are falling off the trees and I’ve been spending a lot of time in parks lately.

Over a few days, I repeatedly pulled the same Oracle Card –  Nature. So I decided to listen.

(Nature – Healing from the Angels Deck by Doreen Virtue)

It got me thinking about letting things go,  and learning to do so,  with surrender instead of resistance.

With a spirit of wilful sacrifice instead of lack.

Each Autumn, the trees sacrifice their leaves to the ground, what have I sacrificed in my life so far?

In the last blog post, I spoke about discovering one of my dream jobs, and steps on how to find your calling.

Today I want to discuss what role sacrifice plays in all of this.

Sacrifice is not part of modern-day terminology, in the way that it was in the great religious texts.

The Bible, The Torah, The Quran and many other religious books,  view sacrifice as part of our communication with God.

Something you did, in exchange for something else.

It was understood that in order to get something, you needed to give something in return.

And this is what I have come to realise as one of the basic rules in life.

Sacrifice brings rewards.

(Image from Etsy.com)

For those familiar with Christianity, the above passage will be recognisable. It talks of the sacrifice of Jesus’s life for the good of mankind, the reward being life itself.

Now my sacrifices have not necessarily been for the good of humankind, but they have certainly brought rewards my way.

Let’s look in more detail at each area of my life, that I have made sacrifices in.

Money

I have continually chosen the joy of higher education, and jobs that light me up inside, over financial gain.

This has meant that I have lived carefully on part-time wages and have had student loans to pay back.

Therefore I have had to sacrifice holidays abroad, the security of savings and the freedom of financial abundance.

But in actual fact, all this has really done is help me to manage money and to find happiness in simple ways.

I’ve been on regular meditation retreats, as holidays instead.

I have spent many weekends with wonderful friends instead.

My recent trip to France was made all the more special, as I had not left the country for about 7 years beforehand.

This also means that I am now at a place where I can choose opportunities from my heart. I know how to work with the money that flows into my life.

I know that stability and caution can make the smallest of budgets fruitful.

Flexibility 

I have also learnt the importance of being flexible.

Having a small budget has meant that I have been out priced of living independently in my home city of London.

Therefore I have had to sacrifice true independence by living at home with my mum.

However, this means that I have had periods of lesser responsibility in my life, giving me time to plan for the future.

It also gave me the shove needed to explore life outside of my home town.

I have recently lived in Cardiff and Manchester, which proved invaluable in meeting new people, and exploring untapped parts of myself.

I know that as a long-term future option; I can live comfortably, independently and happily outside of London, which is exactly what I plan to do.

It means I will get more space and have lower living costs, allowing me to continue following my dreams.

Ultimately, it means I am no longer fearful of leaving behind the familiar.

Time 

Studying at the same time as working – in my past and currently –  means that I am very short on time.

I can rarely do anything last minute as I have tight schedules that I have to adhere to.

But yep, you guessed it – This has also been a blessing in disguise.

It means that I have shaped my life to be full, of only those that contribute to my highest good.

I am surrounded by loving and caring people.

I simply have no time for anything else.

I have prioritized who and what should be in my life, and this has left me with only the best relationships – platonic and romantic.

I suppose, the very best thing that sacrifice has taught me, is that you don’t need much to feel content.

We are taught to consume too much of everything – food, drink, sex – the lot.

We only need enough to be full.

What have you had to sacrifice in your life to make your dreams come true?

Can you see the blessing in those sacrifices?

Much love Txx