I Quit!
“Letting go has nothing to do with “quitting.” Ask yourself, “Am I sticking it out, or am I staying stuck.” You know yourself best. —Alex Elle
Your gift will make you quit. Did I sink your boat? Did I rock your world? Did I at least make you think twice? You have heard the words “Keep going, “Keep fighting, “Ride it out till the end.” Heck, even the great Winston Churchill is famous for saying, “Never give up. Never give up. Never give up!” Apparently, his statements were so profound it was necessary to say them three times to drive home the point.
“Do not stop playing on the little league baseball team,” or “Finish the varsity cheerleading season,” is the advice you remember hearing as a youngster. Throughout your life you have been conditioned to value the merit of sticking it out, rolling with the punches, and by any means whatsoever, do everything within your power, to never quit. Quitting makes you a loser. Quitting means you lack focus. Quitting means you are weaker, lesser, and unable to do what big boys and big girls do—stay on board for the long haul. So, never jump ship and always surf the waves of perseverance and eventually you will be in a better place than you began, right? Wrong.
I see far too many people with too much potential settling for life’s second, third, and fourth best. They are not sensitive to time’s valuable stake in their life. So, unfortunately, they continue in the heart-breaking, degrading relationship too long. They go through the motions at the underpaying job too long. They eat greasy, sugary foods too long. To them, I say, quit while you’re ahead!
There is a time and season for everything under the sun – even quitting! The key word is time, of course. Understanding and discerning the right time is significant and must be acknowledged. Sometimes, you have to notice when time has expired and the opportunity to quit is made available. You are reading me correctly. Quitting is opportunistic. Seek it out.
When you quit a vain pursuit for a victorious one instead, get ready for life to be revealed to you in a brand new way. Notice, I am not saying drop everything at once without any plan of action next. The suggestion is to search out what makes you great and do that thing (whatever it is). I give you permission to explore. Then, when you find what you are looking for, go ahead, say “bye-bye” to what is dumbing down your potential and making you so frustrated with life. Be free and be advised: quitting is not the slimy, bad word society has made it out to be. Gifted people have narrowed in their calling to a singleness of purpose. It does not sound absurd for the great poet, Maya Angelou to quit computer programming to pursue poetry, right? Does it sound silly for Michael Phelps to drop art to swim fast in water? Not at all. Both people are known for their gift. So, it is reasonable to surmise they did some healthy elimination in route to their greatness.
So, I ask the gut-wrenching question, “What will you quit today?
Quit wisely.