What does it mean for me, a happy person with a good life, to deny myself and take up a cross?

I have no final answer, but I did gain some insight from Fred Craddock, a well-known preacher. In a sermon on this text he spoke about commitment and sacrifice and grand gestures. He told this story: "A wealthy man went to his priest with a check for fifty thousand dollars made out to the church. He handed the check to the priest and the priest looked at it. It was a lot of money! Then the priest handed it back and said, "Go cash it in. Cash it in for quarters or dollar bills and spend fifty cents or a dollar at a time doing the Lord's work." The man exclaimed, "But that will take the rest of my life!" "That's right!" answered the priest. That is the point!"