Guy Reams (00:00.578)
This is day 117, the price of membership. was thinking today about how many things I'm a member of, and it's actually quite a few, not to mention my family. I'm a member of my family. Plus I'm a member of several other organizations. And I started thinking about what the price tag is to be a member of the organizations that I belong to. Anything worth
Being a part of something, anything worth being a part of comes at a cost. Not necessarily in dollars, but in something far more valuable. Your time, your energy, your devotion. The higher the price, the more meaningful the membership. Take family, for instance. Being part of a family, whether the one you were born into or the one that you chose, demands sacrifice. That asks for patience when you'd rather be impatient. Forgiveness when you'd rather be resentful.
and presence when distractions call you elsewhere. You don't get to opt out when it's inconvenient. True membership in a family means enduring through the hard moments, staying when it would have been easier to walk away, and investing when there's really no return, or at least no immediate return. The same applies to any organization worth your time, a team, a business, a church, a movement, whatever you commit to. The real question is, does it demand something of you? If it doesn't, it's really not worth that much.
Why cost matters? A low-cost membership isn't membership at all. It's a transaction. You pay a fee, get a service, and move on. But real membership, belonging, only comes when the stakes are high. Consider the military, where service members commit years of their lives, subject themselves to rigorous training, and sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice. The price is steep, but the bond created between those people is unbreakable.
Or think about elite sports teams where athletes dedicate every waking moment to training, recovery, competition. The entry fee isn't just talent, it's a relentless pursuit of excellence, usually for their entire lives. Even professional organizations that carry prestige, whether an academic society, an exclusive industry group, or a mastermind network require more than just an application or an entrance fee, they demand proof of effort, persistence, and even contribution.
Guy Reams (02:23.533)
So we should definitely choose wisely. Since real membership costs so much, you can't afford to be careless about where you invest. Some people spread themselves too thin, like myself, trying to be part of everything, only to find that they truly don't belong anywhere. Others join groups for the wrong reasons, status perhaps, convenience, excitement, or maybe even a fleeting excitement, only to realize later that their commitment wasn't even worth it. So before you say yes to something, ask yourself,
What will this require of me? Will this demand my best or is it just another shallow association? Do I truly believe in what this organization stands for? Am I willing to pay the price not just once, but continually? Because the truth is the most valuable memberships don't have an expiration date. They require you to show up again and again, proving with your actions that you deserve a place at the table. There's really a true cost behind belonging. In the end, the price of membership, what makes it valuable,
If something is too easy to join, it's probably not worth much. But when something demands your sacrifice, your commitment, your very best, then it's definitely worth fighting for. So choose carefully, pay the price, and belong fully.