Is Giving Up Always A Bad Thing?
Time to reflect…
Giving up usually comes hand in hand with the perception of failure. Yet is giving up always a bad thing? What if giving up actually was the best thing to do?…
Giving up is an opportunity to say no. No is a powerful word, it sets a limit and changes the path of direction. It stops time wasting.
Picture yourself having a dream or goal to do something new, you try countless times to succeed… now you’re at the stage where your mind screams “Give up!” tired of the setbacks leaving you drained/exasperated/hopeless… What should you do? Give up? Carry on?
I’d suggest taking the time to reflect, mediate on the pros and cons as well as analyse the impact your methods are having on your wellbeing. Upon doing doing this, you may find your mind was right, perhaps you need to give up.
“But I never give up!” retorts the mind of one who sees giving up as lacking endurance or that they failed. Yet duality demands the other side of giving up to be understood.
Let’s explore the other side…
When one door closes, another opens — Alexander Graham Bell
When I was growing up, my aunt Al, a major source of inspiration, was who I got a lot of advice from. We shared our stories over cups of teas, we laughed, cried & got through many highs & lows. She always reminded me of the saying ‘when one door closes, another opens’.
Many may view that saying as doors being shut in a person’s face by another, much like a disgruntled individual annoyed at being disturbed by a sales person at their door. That salesman may find that another door is opened, giving them a chance to pitch — same goal, different door.
Closing a door as well as opening another from a different perspective could be done by you not someone else.
At the beginning of lockdown in March 2020, I spent hours researching how to use my creative skills online. After joining Fiverr, ACX, Mandy Voices & more I decided to venture back into writing. I missed it, it had been a year since I wrote creatively!
I decided to try something new, it was an opportunity to join a platform with over a million people who had built websites on particular niches & were training to do this successfully. This sounded appealing as I imagined myself blogging while soaking in the sun rays & learning/enhancing new skills is something I enjoy doing.
I joined the premier membership of that company and began building my website & social media presence whilst training & writing blogs on language learning.
However…
In order to get any financial gain from this, it required affiliate marketing. Now you may be great at affiliate marketing but honestly my heart wasn’t in it. Marketing other companies’ products/services in order to remain in an affiliate partnership was dragging time away from my passion to write. I also realised that I didn’t desire writing solely about one niche (despite loving languages), I wanted to write about multiple topics to inspire, to teach and to share experiences. So after reflecting, I closed the door, I gave up...
I gave up on affiliate marketing not on writing.
Once I did that, the door opened to Medium & I couldn’t wait to join and start writing! I believe if I hadn’t given up affiliate marketing, I wouldn’t have looked for a platform where I could write freely on a range of topics. It’s so much more rewarding doing what I enjoy!
Times when to say no, let go, give up
There’s many times when people often ignore the signs to give up, to say no or let go. It doesn’t mean give up on your dream (unless it’s too bonkers for reality) but perhaps you’re being led to the realisation that you’re going the wrong way to get there.
4 major times when giving up is a good thing to do:
- A dead-end job — I’ve met so many people who don’t let go off a job that they hate. It’s understandable that there are the list of pressures to remain in a working status (outgoings, responsibilities at home etc.) yet there is always another job that can be more beneficial.
- An unhealthy relationship — many cling to relationships that just aren’t sailing the same direction or quite frankly are going nowhere. If the relationship is one in which you’ve tried to fix it together, yet you’re finding yourself suffering e.g. abuse, betrayal, manipulation, no trust… it’s a sure sign that the time to give it up is ticking. This is a lot easier said than done and each person faces their own reasons for staying in a relationship that is hurting them (their children/cultural pressures/loneliness/fear of the unknown etc.) but if nothing else; reflect and seek support.
- Addiction — of course with severe addictions, a lot of support, courage, motivation & determination is needed to quit. It can be done. Your greatest wealth is your health. It’s time to take steps to give it up.
- Bad attitude/mind-set — Having a bad attitude or mind-set creates a negative energy which can be destructive to relationships, jobs/business & life. It’s important to analyse the root of this & take action; shut the door on it.
Time to reflect
Giving up can at times equate to a much better opportunity, a pretty good thing right? Analysing areas of your life that need to be addressed and changed is crucial for a more fulfilling life.
The next time you hear someone say “I’m giving up” or “I gave it up" perhaps that was a door that needed to be closed. Be the one to help them realise that another door of a new experience is waiting for them to pull it open.
You close the door, you open another door.
Thanks for reading!
