Lately I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the idea of giving up.
Don’t worry - this post isn’t going to be as pessimistic as that suggests 😉
Recently I’ve seen a handful of articles online addressing when and why it’s important to give up certain things in life. And then of course there’s the countless “inspirational” quotes on Pinterest saying things like:
“If it doesn’t matter, get rid of it.”
“Saying yes to happiness means saying no to things and people that stress you out.”
“If you ever find yourself in the wrong story…leave.”
I’ll be the first to admit that those quotes have resonated with me. I found them all on my own Pinterest board, in fact. Don’t get me wrong - I get it. I understand that there is a time and a place in life to give up on things that are unhealthy or harmful. But lately, quotes + articles centered around the idea of giving up have left me feeling so…icky. Defeated. And it has got me wondering if sometimes in an effort to free ourselves from painful things, we’re going about it all wrong.
Maybe I’m missing the point. Maybe I’m looking too much into something that is just mere semantics. But, what if those semantics - the words we speak over our lives and let resonate with us - what if they affect us more than we realize?
I think it’s important to look at the fruit that certain beliefs and thoughts have in our lives. For example, any time I’ve “given up” or “stopped wasting my time” on something, it never left me a better person in the end. Instead it left me feeling defeated, fearful, and empty.
Yes - getting rid of unhealthy things in your life is important. It IS a good thing. But even more important is REPLACING those unhealthy things with something else. Something positive. Something that will ADD to your life.
So instead of just getting rid of fear - replace it with PEACE.
Instead of just getting rid of your worries about the future - replace those worries with HOPE.
If cutting out unhealthy relationships - replace them with the right ones.
Instead of speaking over your life that you’re giving up - shift your focus on what you DO want. Be expectant!
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What are your thoughts on this? What in your life needs some replacing right now?
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This is great Gracie. I think it’s so important to replace negative things in your life with something positive. Something I’ve always struggled with in my life is worry and thinking negatively. In order to “rid” myself of these thoughts, I have to replace them with hope, positive statements, reminders of good things.
Glad it resonated with you, Meg! I struggle with the same thing, but the replacing mentality has definitely made a huge difference.
Hope all is well! 🙂 xx
I tell my yoga students that “letting go” of things no longer serving them is part of the cycle of destruction/creation. There is a loss yes, but you are making room in your body, mind, and heart for things that support who you are in the present! I have a hard time letting go, but I try to repeat to myself “I’m making more room”