Is It Worth It?

“Tarry a little, there is something else. This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood; The words expressly are ‘a pound of flesh.” -Shakespeare, The Merchant Of Venice

To do anything great, anything worthwhile, something’s gotta give somewhere else in your life. It’s just a fact. You’ll have to sacrifice time, energy, money, etc…in service of your passion project. You’ll have to steal from comfort. The question to ask yourself before going on the journey: “Is it worth it?”

A very accomplished actor and friend once asked me for some suggestions on plays. He wanted to get back to his theatre roots and was looking for something exciting that he could produce. I gave him a few plays, all containing roles I thought he’d be fantastic in.

A few months went by and I hadn’t heard from him. I reached back out, asked if he read them. He had and apologized for not responding. He was thankful and thought all the plays were terrific. I pressed him a bit to see if he was going to move forward with one of them.

His response (paraphrased):

“Nah. Pound of flesh my friend. I’m not prepared to give it. Not right now.”

I respected his decision because he was honest with himself. Rather than be in denial, he knew it would cost him to fully serve those parts and plays. He choose otherwise.