Shadow of the Colossus starts off with Wander arriving at the temple, placing Mono (the dead woman) on the altar. Wander came to this land for the purpose of reviving Mono. After speaking with Dormin, Dormin tells Wander what he wants may be possible, but at a great cost. From there, Wander sets out to destroy the sixteen colossi.

As the story unfolds, a few key details revealed about Wander. He had stolen the ancient sword from his land. Mono was sacrificed for having a cursed fate, yet Wander was intent on reviving her. Wander entered a land that was forbidden for people to go to. Even after Dormin’s warning, Wander still threw himself at the task of destroying the colossi, with no regard for his own safety.

Wander was willing to do whatever it took, no matter the cost, to achieve his goal and revive Mono.

History is full of examples of people who chased after their goals and missions with the same disregard for personal cost. Jesus, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Mahatma Ghandi, Joan of Arc, and Frederick Douglass, to name a few, all had goals and missions with high personal costs for the benefit of others.

Wander poured everything he had into chasing after his goal of reviving Mono, even when it was unpopular, taboo, and would cost his own life. Similarly, those historical figures poured everything they had into accomplishing their goals. Through humiliation, persecution, and even death, they stuck to their beliefs and followed through despite the cost.

In order to achieve your goals, there will be a cost. It could be a time commitment, a monetary cost, a move, a relationship, security/safety, or any number of things. If you’re not willing to pay that price, then that goal either isn’t worth pursuing or it’ll be done in mediocrity and won’t have a lasting impact.

Goals worth doing are those worth paying the price, no matter the cost.