Happy Holidays, everyone. I hope this season has been as easeful as it can be for you all. I’ve been going back and reading some of my older newsletters, and this one on quitting really spoke to me. I’m re-sharing it because as we walk into 2023, it’s important that we realize that walking away doesn’t make you a quitter. I hope you enjoy these reflections on quitting needing to be an option.
Photo by Sierra Lynn
Letting go isn't always a bad thing. It shapes us and makes room for new beginnings. We aren't less than for changing course and finding a new path. In a world that celebrates "sticking it out" (even when we're miserable), we can find ourselves confused and misaligned from our truth, joy, and peace of mind. Yes, it's hard to let things, people, places, and habits go—but it's also illuminating to see what needs to be released for us to receive.
Over the years, I've come to terms with having to walk away from things, relationships, and behaviors that no longer work for or with me. I spent years trying to make things work that just were not working or in my best interest. Alignment is central for me in this season of life. I no longer need or want to stay anywhere that I've outgrown. Something that I am grateful to be learning is that I do not have to stick anything out or suffer through things—especially things not meant for me.
I've learned to accept that we can't always finish what we start—and it's okay if we don't want to. We can be grateful for a season and [also] be glad that it's over. Life isn't always black or white. Sometimes it's gray. I'm learning to accept and find gratitude in that. There's a lot of self-awareness to be gained as we make decisions to put things down that do not align with who we are today.
Grateful living reminds me to release what needs to be released. It teaches me that I do not have to struggle through things just because of the time invested. Letting go allows us all the room and opportunity to start over and find what works and what does not, what nourishes and what drains, what heals us and what harms us. Something that I hold close as I grow, change, and heal is that I rather part ways and trust my reroute than stay stuck going in circles.
Trusting our new path(s) takes courage and self-belief. It's not a walk in the park, but I think that is where the lesson truly is. When we dig deeper into the soil of grateful living, we uncover the root of lives. And while, yes, everything won't be effortless—and some of the decisions we have to make will leave us feeling confused or on edge—all of what we walk through can and will teach us something if we allow it.
That is where we learn to lean into gratitude.
Affirmations for your Week:
I am grateful that I'm learning what I no longer want.
I am open to releasing what is no longer in alignment.
I am grateful for the reroutes.
I am aligned with my highest good.
I am living with intention and self-trust.
Community Question (answer in the comments): What are you quitting and why? How does it feel to let go and trust a new path?
This article came at just the right time. I'm quitting my "first real job" I've been at for nearly 4 years with the new year. I've been full-time at a state psychiatric hospital and it has been a lot for my nervous system for a multitude of reasons. I just signed on to be a nanny for 10 hours less per week and make the same pay. I have found myself self-conscious of telling people this (especially my parents), but affirming why I am doing this has been so helpful. I look forward to a reset and freeing up more literal and energetic space to move closer towards what is in alignment for me.
I want to let go of my need for perfection & control. Even my dreams & creativity need some breathing room. When I spend my energy clenching my fists around things I often stifle any potentially amazing sparks and miss the goodness right in front of me.
I love the gray you refer too. I just wrote about the concept of “embracing the gray” in my newsletter recently. It’s so STINKING hard. However, I find it’s just another muscle. The more we practice letting go and living with some uncertainty the easier it gets.