If the lives of a million people could be saved at the cost of your own, would you be willing to make the sacrifice? If not a million people, is there any number? How many of us are willing to sacrifice ourselves for another?
I guess it really depends WHO would be saved, right? I bet most parents would take the fall for a child. And all the military hero's who make the ultimate sacrifice die for their country? I am betting it was really their family... not a bunch of arrogant americans they never met. How many question whether or not their country is worth dying for before putting themselves in harms way.
How many american were killed for wars we never should have fought. Decisions made in the face of fear often have dire consequences.
I would stand up and state: If the lives of the 'top 150' people on my list would be saved, then I would be willing to die. Because if those 150 people died, my life would be empty without them.
What I hope this exercise does for you is make you realize that no sacrifice you could make while living could measure up to the price you'd pay with your own life... so make all the tiny sacrifices your friends need you to. Believe me, they are worth it.
We are all victims of circumstance. Many of us have lived a life of fortune - that is, we've been blessed with a series of fortunate events, largely due to the sacrifices of our parents.
To a large degree however, the decisions we make, the choices of will or won't determine our circumstances. In this way, we are mostly voluntary victims. A source of self confidence is in recognizing that you control your circumstances - that you take responsibility for the choices you've made which have led the circumstances you now find yourself - good or bad.
If we are victims of circumstance, then we can learn to thrive as victims.