Madonna has to make sacrifices to juggle a successful career and personal life

The 53-year-old singer — who has been divorced twice — recently directed her first movie W.E. and is planning a new album but admits making sure her children, Lourdes, 14, Rocco, 11, Mercy, six, and five-year-old David, and 24-year-old lover Brahim Zaibat don’t feel neglected is difficult.

“You can [have it all] but what you can’t then expect is a good night’s sleep. I have all three; love, children and work. Lucky me. I can’t imagine not having children. I can’t imagine not being in love and I can’t imagine not being creative and doing the work I do,” she said.

“Either the kids aren’t going to be getting all your attention, or the man isn’t or the job isn’t and I can’t contemplate living without all three. You can’t always get what you want, but compromise pays off in the end, right?”

Madonna admits as she has gotten older she has learned the secret to having a successful relationship — compromise.

“The older I get, the more I understand about the nature of relationships and how to have a successful one,” she added. “The more I realize that it has to do with compromise and sacrifice and that’s just the way it goes. And unless you want to be alone for the rest of your life you have to realize that.”

Madonna’s new movie is based on real-life tale of Britain’s King Edward VIII who gave up the throne for his relationship with American divorcee Wallis Simpson and Madonna admitted she could understand what they went through.

“Every girl loves the idea a man would sweep her off her feet, give up everything for her, only to find out that she is self-imprisoned by that love because if a man is willing to give up a kingdom, then you’re going to have to spend the rest of your time together making that man feel like a king, aren’t you?” she said.

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