Headlines and Sacrifice

My dad used to tell me to stop thinking about the headlines and worry about the now. That’s paraphrased and I’m sure if he read this, he would be disappointed with my transcription. Regardless, it’s now my truth.  I’ve since internalized his dad-ism and made it my own the phrase and the meaning.

The proverb is easy enough to restate. As for the meaning, there are a few meanings that I glean from this.

The first meaning is obvious. Don’t think about how it will feel to win. Think about winning and make that happen. See, that’s easy enough to get.

The second meaning is less obvious but foundational. Headlines don’t tell the tale of sacrifice. A headline doesn’t tell me what it took to achieve success.

There is a story I heard about Picasso. He was at a café in some exotic location and a woman approached him for a sketch. He doodled something rather hurriedly and handed it to her.

She thanked him profusely and then asked what she should pay him. He proffered some exorbitant amount to which she scoffed.

“This only took you a few minutes,” she protested.

“I disagree,” he stated matter of factly, “this took my whole life.”

For the woman, the finished sketch was a headline which is why she was stunned at the cost. That’s also a difference between crafting and artistry.

What does this have to do with us? Everything.

People don’t become great overnight. The headline might read that way but it’s not the truth. There’s a backstory to success and that is the story of sacrifice and discipline, hard work and dedication.

For me, this means saying no to some things that are good. I sometimes even say no to great things for the sake of attaining my goals.

For you, what are you willing to give up?

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