War is the father of all things. The only way to get what you want in life is to fight for it, and to win at anything demands that you pay more than anyone else. To get the job that you want, you must outperform all other candidates; to have the girl that you want, you must be better than all other men who are interested in her; to buy the house that you want, you must make the highest offer, etc.

Overpaying is the cost of winning; no one else was willing to sacrifice as much as the winner because they didn't think what they were asked to give up was a fair exchange for what they hoped to receive. Therefore, not only do winners pay more than everyone else, they pay more for the good than it is likely worth. This is the economic explanation for why getting what you want often doesn’t make you happy. In general, the cost of winning tends to exceed the value of what you’ve won.

Does that mean winning isn't worth it? The real reward isn’t the achievement of the end goal, rather, it is what you have to become in order to achieve it. Just consider what Olympic athletes have to go through to win. Years of pain, discipline, and hardship cannot be worth the value of a medal—the price is simply too great. It is worth it, however, to realize one’s potential as fully as possible and become the greatest athlete in the world. That’s the real gold—the alchemical process of life. The reward is merely an incentive for you to go through a transformative process to become more than you currently are.

Likewise, the price of Godhood is expensive, as, by definition, the Magnum Opus is the pinnacle of human achievement. There is so much more to it than just immortality, as you need to be a God in mind as well as in body, and a good life is the transformative process which facilitates that. For more information, see The 4 Fundamental Achievements In Zevic Life

If you haven't already, honestly ask yourselves if you are willing to pay that price, and if so, what are you doing about it, and how serious are you? Are you an artist who improves with every drawing, or do you draw the same stick figure every day? If you’re not constantly doing your best, then why even bother? Death is a Virtue for a reason.

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References:

Orion Taraban — Overpaying is the cost of winning