I’ve drafted and re-drafted this post many times, and thought about it over and over in my head to try to perfectly convey exactly how I am thinking. Which is quite difficult.
You know, when you are younger, people would value perseverance. “ooh look at that young go-getter” they would say. Being like a dog with a bone is seen as a positive thing. There is some sort of strength in perseverance, I agree. Sticking to a food plan, an exercise routine, learning an instrument or a language. These are all things that take dedication, and in the end if you find them enjoyable, they help you grow as a person.
But it’s ok to give up sometimes. If something or someone is not making you happy, it’s ok to cut your losses and quit. There’s no honour in continuing with something that is detrimental to you, your physical or mental health. Holding onto something that makes you unhappy does not make you strong, it just manifests more misery in your life. It’s ok to cut people out of your life who bring you down. It’s ok to quit an activity that is making you unhappy, finish studying or quit a job that makes you burst into tears every morning in the car park beforehand. It takes a certain strength to recognise and walk away from someone or something which is not making you happy. Sometimes it is painful in the short term, but you know you will feel much better in the long term once the cloud passes (or much like exercise, haha).
If someone or something has made you unhappy for a long time, it’s alright to quit. In the long term, it will make you feel better about your life, and give you strength.
There’s only one thing that it is not ok to give up on, and that is yourself. It wont give you strength to hide away and give up on everything because in that moment you feel bad. It just makes sense to give up on something that is always making you feel bad, to lift away a cloud.
What do you think?
