the value of sacrafice

For the last few months, I have been considering getting rid of tv all together. I was not sure this idea would fly with Dan, especially during football season, but after finding out it would save us about $60 a month, I had to run it by him.

At first, he was not on board. He works long hours, has a 3 hour commute EVERY day, travels for work each week and has multiple meetings he attends and has very little free time or hobbies that he is able to keep right now. Watching tv is something he enjoys and felt like he would be giving up everything.

We talked about the benefits our family would get out of keeping the tv and the benefits our family would get from giving tv up. The benefits from giving up the tv where much greater and held a much higher value. Not only would we be able to save money, allowing us to reach our goals of getting out of debt sooner, but we will also have more time together and with the kids. Watching tv, even if it's together, does not have much quality to it. Those things seem pretty obvious, but as we started to talk, we both realized there would be so many "hidden" benefits. We will gain more understanding of discipline and sacrifice and it will teach us how to better prioritize. Our kids see our choices and they ask lots of questions. Through us, they are learning the same things we are and will take what they learn with them in life. It's not just about giving up the tv. Each time we choose to sacrifice together for the common good of the entire family, our marriage strengthens and the entire family feels supported and loved and encouraged from each other. There is less stress and everyone seems to be happier.

The key though, is to have the right attitude and heart about it, otherwise the opposite will happen. I did not want to cancel tv until both Dan and I were in complete agreement, or the entire thing would backfire and we would take steps backward instead of forward.

Right now in our life, keeping the tv seems foolish. I will be calling to cancel tv on Monday. Dan and I are both excited to see how our life will change (for the better) once the tv is gone. I am sure I will miss HGTV and Dan will miss weekend sports, but our family is going to gain so much more.
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