Giving Up Is Not An Option 

You don’t really want to give up, anyway, you just want things to be better!

Do you ever feel like just giving up on everything? Sometimes life is so overwhelming that even the strongest of people want to sell everything and move someplace remote like Alaska. It’s ok to feel like you want to give up, but in reality, giving up is not an option.

There is no question that life can be really tough sometimes. Maybe work is overwhelming. Maybe you’re having trouble paying your bills. Maybe you’re tired of all the difficult people making your life hell. Maybe you’re scared you will never accomplish your goals. Maybe….

But, realize that there’s another side to the “maybes.” Maybe the break you’ve been working for all these years is just about to happen. Maybe you just need to adjust your budget, or create one, and things will be better. Maybe the people who drive you crazy really aren’t doing anything to you, personally, it just feels like it because you’re tired. Maybe there’s a good reason your goals are coming slowly, you just haven’t been able to see it yet. Maybe the key is to start looking at life from a different perspective.

A Different Perspective

Sometimes I like to make a list of Pros and Cons so I can clearly see how I feel about things. What would happen if you actually gave up? What pros and cons would you experience? Pro – you’d be out of the current situation you’re in. Con – you’d probably end up in the same situation in another location. Pro – there may be something new for you to learn and work on. Con – if you had kept on course as you were you may be closer to a big accomplishment. The Pros and Cons of giving up are different for everyone, try it and see how they work out for you.

In times when I’ve felt like giving up I stopped and asked myself WHY I wanted to give up. It takes some real soul-searching to answer that question sometimes. But, when you are honest with yourself, you may find that the real answer comes down to fear. Often, people want to give up because they are scared they will fail. The reality is, you will definitely fail if you completely give up.

For other people, they want to give up due to shear exhaustion. When you work too hard for too long you burn out. As humans we need time to rest and re-energize. We need time to think, and time to not think. And, we definitely need sleep. Take some time off for yourself. You can find a way to do that if you REALLY try. It may not be easy, and it may cost you money, but it will help you find some balance in your life as well as some energy. Then, learn to take some time for yourself everyday. Even if it’s just 10 minutes of closing your eyes at lunch or after work. Turn everything off and rest your brain.

Feed Your Soul

To keep our body and mind healthy we need to “feed” it the right things. I’m not just talking about the food we eat, although, that is VERY important, it’s also about feeding ourselves through movement, and thought. Our bodies need exercise to keep us healthy. It’s not about weight, it’s about health. Movement keeps our blood flowing, our lungs breathing, and all the necessary systems benefit from these two processes. Movement also helps us unwind and reduce stress while increasing the chemicals that make us feel good, think clearer, and sleep better.

And While technology is great, like all things it needs to be balanced or it becomes unhealthy for us. Learn to turn off your email. Limit your TV time, even if you replace 30 minutes of TV with 30 minutes of walking, reading for fun, meditating, whatever you do to relax.

Do things you enjoy whether that’s fishing, sewing, cooking, reading, playing music…. By doing things you like you get a break from the stress of your daily life, and that feeds your soul.

When Quitting Is Good

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that there definitely ARE times when it’s good to quit. When you truly want to try something else because you feel a calling, and you’ve properly prepared yourself to make the change, quitting can be the best thing ever. Just make sure you are quitting for the RIGHT reasons and not because you’re running away from something, or doing it because you’re influenced by people around you.

Motivation

It’s not always easy to find the motivation to keep moving forward. In fact, some days the motivation is completely non-existant. So, forget trying to be motivated and instead just focus on the little positives you complete. You got out of bed and brushed your teeth – yay! You took the dog for a walk – yay! You showered – yay! You read and answered your email – yay!

If you keep focusing on the little things you’re accomplishing, you may find you have the energy to keep going. By the end of the day, you may be out of your funk!

Remember, tomorrow is another day – a fresh start. What do you want most in life? Are the things you’re doing going to help you accomplish your goals? If so, focus on how great it will be to achieve your success rather than how difficult the path can be to get there. One of the biggest factors in accomplishing goals is simply the act of doing a little something every day towards them.

You CAN Do It! You CAN!

One of my favorite quotes is:

Never give up for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.

~Harriet Beecher Stowe