It’s time to be a quitter…

I quit my job. Wow. There, I said it. I quit.

I certainly grew up with the mentality that quitting was not an option.  If you made a commitment, you were to stick to that commitment, no matter how difficult the situation became. And I still agree with that view…to a certain extent. Several commitments should, in my opinion, never be broken. Yet it is prudent for us to contemplate the term in and of itself. There is such a heavy connotation that the word “quitter” brings to mind. If you look up the definition you will find the following – Quitter: a person who gives up too easily. Thus the world view that a quitter is someone who is not “enough”. Not tough enough to stick it out.  Not smart enough to figure it out. Not hardworking enough to give the effort needed. The list could span for days. A never-ending cycle of some defect within that person that is not to be desired. 

Yet if you step back for a moment and search for the meaning of the word “quit” a new set of words can alter your view when properly put into context. Quit: to stop, cease, or discontinue; to depart from, leave. Think about it, someone who stops smoking, quits. Someone who ceases drinking alcohol in excess, quits. And these are actions that are not only praised, but encouraged.  These individuals elevated for their accomplishments. But in reality, they are just quitters. So why in certain situations has it been deemed courageous, rather than lazy, to quit?

The answer lies fully in the why & what…

Take smoking, alcohol abuse, and drugs for example.  These practices generally have maladaptive repercussions for a person’s life, especially in regards to heath.  Since these endeavors are harmful they need to be discontinued. In essence, the defect is not found in the quitter, but rather in what is being left behind.  What if we were to view other areas of life in this same manner?  What if we could remove ourselves and clearly see if something – a person, an activity, a job – was not only unfavorable for our well being, but actually destroying us slowly?  And if this were the case, to make the decision to leave (read quit) without fear of being deemed not “enough”.

Well, after many months of frustration, stress, and the headaches, fatigue and irritability that accompanied it, my health was far from the only thing being effected by my job. I needed to step back. So that’s exactly what I did. I took a week off from work and spent some time reflecting on the situation. I was no longer joyful, especially not at work. Something that once brought me such pleasure was suddenly causing immeasurable turmoil. And it was simply time to leave. Time to pursue a career that I would not only enjoy – but as I wrote about previously – to do something that matters.

I would be a fool, however, to simply walk away and not take from these past two years the knowledge that I have inevitably gained from living them. If it’s one thing I’ve learned over my few years on this earth, it’s that you can’t just delete something – a job, an experience, a past friendship or relationship – and just make it all go away. A revelation, unfortunately, that some friends simply refuse to believe. Regardless, that’s just not how it works.  Whether good or bad, the past happened and you can’t erase it. You can either dwell on it, or learn from it.  Your reaction is what decides your future. Considering that, I chose the later option. These past 2 years working for the same agency have truly been educational. I could leave this job focused solely on the negative, resenting my time there and not growing from the experiences I’ve had. Or I can walk away, fully confirmed and at peace with my decision, armed and ready to flourish as I chase my dreams. That is what I choose to focus on.