BA – Sacrifice Challenge
SACRIFICE CHALLENGE
Sacrifice is to give up something you want, in order for your partner to
receive something they want or something that you both want. Healthy
relationships focus on shared purposes and goals, sometimes this means
giving up lower priority things.
"What you do speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you say."
Why this Challenge?
To increase your love for your partner and learn how to love them
How to
Sacrifice is not only an important element of successful relationships, it’s an incredible method for increasing your attraction and love for someone.
A wise person once said, “We sacrifice for those that we love but we also love those whom we sacrifice for.” Sacrifice isn’t just a way to show that we love someone, it’s actually a way to build love for someone. For seven days, sacrifice something important to you for something meaningful to your partner. Maybe you sacrifice a little extra sleep in order to wake up before your partner and make them breakfast. Maybe you sacrifice you screen time in order to clean the house. Be intentional about what you sacrifice and ensure that what you do for your partner is personally meaningful to them.
About Sacrifice
Sacrifice can be an intimidating word, yet, research has shown that couples who
are willing to sacrifice for each other, are happier and more likely to stay together.
The reason it can be so intimidating is that sacrifice can easily become lopsided,
where one partner sacrifices more than the other. We are all inclined to see the
world from our own subjective vantage point and to overvalue the things we do
and devalue the things others do. For this reason, both partners may feel that
they are sacrificing more than the other. The reality is that there is no perfect
measure for which partner is sacrificing more or less, and more importantly, if you
reach a point where you feel the need to measure and compare sacrifices as a
tool to one-up your partner, then you have missed the value of sacrifice.
Does your partner recognize when you sacrifice for them? Would your partner
sacrifice for you in a similar situation? Is there a better or more creative way to
sacrifice or accomplish the goal? What is your motivation in sacrificing for your
partner? Are you purposeful about how you balance sacrifices in your
relationship? How can you be more purposeful with the sacrifices you make for
each other?
What one partner values and experiences as sacrifice may differ from the other,
the reason is that perceptions of sacrifice are closely related to your love
languages. For example, if your love language is quality time, then sacrificing
quality time would feel significant. Whereas, if your partner’s love language is
physical affection, then sacrificing physical affection would feel significant to
them. In the same way it’s important to recognize what your partner values in
terms of love language, it’s important to recognize that you may each experience
sacrifices differently. When sacrifices are made without purpose, they can impact
roles of power and affection in a relationship. The most important feature of
sacrifice in your relationship is purposefulness, meaning that the sacrifices that
matter the most, are the ones that contribute to long-term collective benefits
and dreams, rather than for short-term gains or to avoid conflicts. Bring purpose
to your sacrifices and you’ll both reap the rewards of commitment, satisfaction,
and happiness.
