Know When its Time to Quit and Don't Waste Time on Useless Battles
There are certain things in your life that you’ve left behind and, although you know where to find them, you realize that life is often a journey of no return. However, you’re not afraid nor do you regret anything, because you know what’s worth fighting for and you also recognize which battles are useless. They’re the kinds that aren’t worth getting hurt for.
How many things have you given up for lost in your life? It’s difficult to see them sometimes, and hard to realize that every effort you invest, every aspect of your life you give up for certain people or plans, are like wisps of smoke escaping through an open window.
The reason why it’s difficult for you to realize that everything you do might not be of much use is because of the emotional cost to you. That’s because your hopes and dreams are the positive emotions that give you encouragement every day but they’re also the ones that often blindfold you.
When disappointment arrives, you realize that your life has become unbalanced, and you’ve nothing left. Indeed, you’ve ended up with nothing and your dream has turned into a nightmare.
Have you done something wrong? Should you regret everything you’ve done? No. Because those who don’t fight for their dreams aren’t brave and will never reach the moon. Be proud of your courage, but remember that it’s often wise to make a timely retreat.
Those useless battles in your life
You never know if a battle or a dream has been useless until reality harshly hits you in the face. Until then, hope will nurture your thoughts, efforts, and actions. In fact, it’ll encourage you in every step you take.
It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a job, a friendship, or a relationship. Life is a long succession of moments in which to test yourself, of chapters to enjoy, fight for, and learn from. Because learning is the vital key that must form the backbone of each day of your life.
It’s possible that you’ve made mistakes and that, by now, you’ve left many things for lost. Should you regret it? Absolutely not. Because regret is always a mistake. It feeds bitterness.
Errors are assumed, understood, processed, and integrated into what we call the ‘suitcase of experiences’. If these lived moments bring you bad memories, don’t welcome them into your life and feed them every day. Unpleasant memories must be replaced by the here and now, by today’s happiness.
There are no useless battles. They’re all signs of a life lived and experience gained. However, don’t forget that the most important thing of all is knowing how to realize as soon as possible that certain situations just aren’t worth your efforts. That no relationship deserves your suffering.
Knowing when it’s time to quit
It’s extremely possible that, right now, many of us are nurturing hopes and dreams about something that doesn’t deserve them or ‘that doesn’t deserve us’. Let’s take a closer look.
1. The power of false expectations
There are times when you make the mistake of blaming others for feeding you false hopes. Nonetheless, in reality, the responsibility is yours.
Just as some people fix their ideas on a dream job, you might fix all your emotions and anxieties on a person who, in reality, has never given you any clue that they feel anything for you. Therefore, you must never lose sight of your objectivity, balance, and perspective.
2. The emotional cost
The inner force that you, as a human being possesses, called emotion, is actually an engine that’s both powerful and dangerous. In fact, it’ll occasionally make you give everything, even your last breath, for a loved one or a longed-for dream.
When this happens, you don’t see the limits and you open your heart without reading the instruction manual first. This book has, as its first rule, “Be prudent, look out for yourself, protect your self-esteem”. However, you don’t always follow this rule.
You must learn to be more receptive, to tell yourself that you also deserve to RECEIVE. Ask yourself, does that friendship offer you support, complicity, respect, and recognition? If so, go ahead.
Similarly, does your romantic relationship give you happiness? Does it feed your hopes? Does your partner invest in you as much as you in them? Have they given up something as you’ve had to do on certain occasions? If not, reflect and make a decision.
You must give up on everyone who feeds on selfishness, who doesn’t recognize you, and who takes away your hopes and strength instead of enriching you. Go ahead and close the door on them. After all, you know where you are and you’re also extremely clear about where YOU WANT TO BE.
Image Courtesy: Daria Petrilli, Christian Shloe