Sacrifice VS Giving

I'm listening to The Secret on cd as my book of the week. I saw a little bit of the Oprah show on this subject, but didn't pay much attention to it. My mom has brought it up a couple times, telling me I needed to watch the movie. As I was walking through Costco the other day, I saw the book, cd and movie. So I picked up a copy. At first, I thought it was all a little hooey hooey for me. But after listening to more of it, I started thinking back at how my life has worked out so far. I grew up with broken and blended families including lots and lots of money woes. College was never something thought to be affordable or attainable. But somewhere deep down, I always just knew things would work out somehow and I would indeed go to college. I graduate in 1998 from St. Martin's University. It wasn't until just this week, listening to this cd, that I realized what had happened. Maybe there is something to all this mumble jumble. I feel very zen thinking and picturing the things in my mind that I want to accomplish. First off for me, weight loss.

Something else hit home with me. The author touches on the subject of sacrifice and giving. She is talking about these in regards to money, but I thought about it in terms of parenting. I have heard so many times in my five and half years of being a parent that is a thank-less job and the biggest sacrifice a person can do. The Author talks about sacrifice as something that doesn't feel good and if we continue to sacrifice ourselves and put ourselves last on our "take care" list, then we will start to resent the very thing we are making sacrifices for and become angry. Giving comes from love and makes us feel good. So if we give from our hearts and are thankful, then it will feel good. I'm totally not portraying her message as elegant as she does, but you get the picture. I took it to heart big time! I've said many times, that I very much hope for my three children to be close and be thankful they have each other. I always knew I wanted more than one or two kids. So for me, having kids wasn't a sacrifice; although some days, it totally feels like I must have been big looney bird for having kids at all. In the big picture of life, it is my greatest accomplishment and my biggest gift . . . . I give them each other. And I hope they always remember that!