Everything in life has a price tag. There’s always a scale to measure anything you do in life. That’s why we sometimes ask if a thing is worth it? When we do that, we put a price on something to determine its worth. Therefore, you do well if you count the cost of everything you do, and each decision you take, per time.
It pays also to count the cost of any project before you embark on it. Otherwise, you won’t know if it is viable or not. Every major decision you take must be measured by the value it gives. Even relationships can be measured to ascertain their value. There’s no point keeping relationships that have no benefits to those involved. It is like investing in a failed business.
If you want to make a purchase decision, what gives you the motivation to go ahead and buy is the cost-value element. Is the product worth the price? If you believe so, you go ahead and buy. You meet a prospective date, you weigh the options. Is this lady or guy worth it? Every decision is propelled by some emotional factors. In the case of romantic decisions, people tend to throw caution to the wind. The heart often gains ascendency over the head, when the opposite sex is the object of decision. Heart matters tend to dull intelligence.
You may have to seek counsel from peers, parents, your spiritual leaders (Pastor), relatives, experts, etc. in order to make good decisions. Counting the cost helps you avoid the phenomenon of abandoned projects. Most people start what they can’t finish because they never bothered to count the cost properly before they embark on the project. Someone goes after a pretty, sophisticated lady, without first thinking about the cost of maintaining her in order to sustain such relationship. This is the bane of most relationships.
Jesus said, if you want to build a tower you ought to do a feasibility- count the cost so that when you embark on the project, you’d be able to complete it. If you don’t do this, you may not be able to finish the project and people would mock you. Therefore, you should cultivate the habit of counting the cost of every action you take. The cost element is vital in any endeavour. You shouldn’t do things at any cost. You do a thing if it is worth the effort.
I’ve had to shut down a business when I counted the cost and discovered it didn’t pay off –as expected. Business is not for show. You float a business because it is profitable. If the margins are too low, close shop. In effect, everything in your life must come under the scrutiny of viability. If you live in an apartment and you find that the landlord keeps hiking the rent to a level you can’t sustain anymore, move out to another house, instead of stressing yourself to cope with high rent that is choking you. If you find that your car is gulping your money because of high cost of maintenance, sell it off and buy another cost-efficient vehicle. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, if you cut your coat according to your cloth.
I need to point out at this juncture that you cannot subject a marriage to cost- benefit valuation. No! You do not abandon a marriage because the emotional cost of keeping it is too high. You just have to find a way to make it work. Agreed, some marriages are burdensome. If you find yourself in a bad marital union, you should deal with the problems rather than walk out on your spouse because the cost of breaking a problematic marriage may be too high.
The physical and emotional cost of terminating some relationships might be too high, so keeping them may be a better option. When the stakes are just too high, you find a way to minimize the damage of a problematic relationship rather than break them up and end up with a pyrrhic victory. It doesn’t make sense when you count the cost of ending some terrible relationships. You just have to keep them. Counting the cost still applies when you view all the options on the table. Someone may be in a bad marriage, but they find that they are worse off as divorcee and, so they continue with the bad marriage with the hope of making it better. That’s counting the cost and making a choice.
Anyhow you see it, you have to count the cost of your projects if you hope to end well. Even if you purposely intend to do charity, you still count the cost. It is not wise to do things without weighing the full implications. It is foolish. In my life’s journey I have had to look back and regret not counting the cost of many things I did in the past. I want to save you that embarrassment. Take stock and take decisive steps on projects or relationships that are not worth continuing! You owe no one no apology to do what is right for you!! At the end of the day, every bottle must stand on its own bottom. You will bear the cost of every decision you take. So, it is better to count the cost of everything you do.
Weekend Spice: The emotions are an incredible gift that we have to let us know what we are thinking.- Bob Doyle.
Ladi Ayodeji is an Author, Right Activist, Pastor and Life Coach. He can be reached on 09059243004(sms & whatsapp only).