The Cost is Not Always the Price

Over the years one of the greatest lessons I have learned is that sometimes the cost of something does not always represent the totally price. Before you say yes to something make sure you count the cost of your next decision. Some of the costs you may have to consider go beyond financial. Other things may include emotional, relational, time, and purpose costs. Have you walked into a store, looked at the price tag on an item, and thought to yourself you could afford it. Then later you discover taxes, maintenance, repairs, or additional fees that nearly doubled what you expected to spend. Life works the same way. The price of something is simply what you pay upfront. The cost is everything afterward.

As women navigating life’s crossroads, we are faced with decisions every day. Should I start a business? Should I accept the promotion? Should I move? Should I enter this relationship? Should I leave the one I’m in? Should I volunteer? Should I buy the house? Should I chase this opportunity? Many of us immediately ask one question: Can I afford it? But perhaps the better question is: What will this truly cost me? As The Purpose Partner, I have discovered that the wisest women are not necessarily the ones who make the fastest decisions. They are the women who pause long enough to calculate the entire cost. Starting a business is a perfect example.

Many aspiring entrepreneurs believe the greatest expense is obtaining a business license or building a website. Those are certainly costs, but they are rarely the biggest ones. Some of us forget to include what may be considered an intangible, but weigh heavy such as long nights, the sacrifices your family will have to make, vacations delayed or postponed, and the list goes on. Then we have the more obvious tangible costs such as marketing, bookkeeping, staff, infrastructure overhead, and then there is the fear of failure.

The same is true in our personal lives. Sometimes we envy what someone else has without understanding what it cost them to get there. We admire someone’s beautiful home but do not see the years they lived below their means. We admire someone’s successful career but do not see the countless evenings they spent studying while everyone else was watching television. We admire someone’s confidence but do not know the heartbreak they survived, the counseling they pursued, the prayers they prayed, or the years they spent rebuilding their self-worth. Social media has made it easy to compare our beginning with someone else’s middle. We often see the reward without ever seeing the receipt. We must remember that every blessing has a backstory. Every success has a sacrifice. Every accomplishment carries a cost. That is why comparison can be so dangerous. We are comparing visible outcomes while remaining blind to the invisible investments.

Strategic Grace teaches us to slow down before we say yes. It reminds us that every “yes” is also a “no” to something else. If we want more family time we may have to give up that promotion for now. If you need more rest to complete the tasks at hand, you may have to say no to a social outing from time to time. Every decision carry both opportunity and obligation. This is not meant to make us fearful. It is meant to make us thoughtful. There is a difference. I have also learned that some of life’s most expensive purchases require no money at all. Holding onto bitterness costs your peace. People-pleasing costs your authenticity. Refusing to forgive costs your freedom. Living outside your purpose costs your joy. Trying to impress people costs your identity. These are prices we often pay without realizing it. The older I become, the more I realize that protecting my peace is one of the wisest investments I can make. Every opportunity is not my assignment. Every open door is not my door. Every invitation does not deserve my acceptance.

As women, we are naturally caregivers, helpers, and builders. Those are beautiful qualities. But they can also lead us to overcommit ourselves if we are not careful. We can spend so much time investing in everyone else that we quietly bankrupt our own emotional, physical, and spiritual reserves. As The Purpose Partner, I believe one of the greatest signs of maturity is learning to see beyond the price tag and evaluate the total cost. Wise women understand that not everything they can afford is worth buying, not every opportunity is worth pursuing, and not every path is meant for them.

Wendy is the Purpose Partner helping women go from Crossroads to Confidence, from Shaken to Unshakable, from Purpose to Power. To learn more visit WendyGladney.com and ForgivingForLiving.org