The Courage to Quit

You either have it or you don’t…Do you have the strength to surrender? Do you possess the ability to recognize the reality of your life as it currently stands? If so, what does that picture look like for you?

If what you see is anything less than desirable then something has to change. And guess what…you are the only one that can make it happen. BUT, in order for you to do something new you must first conjure up the courage to quit. In case you’re wondering, this is where the significance of the counterintuitive title comes into play.It takes intestinal fortitude, maturity and an incredible sense of courage to admit to yourself that the path you are currently on in life is not taking you in the direction you want to go. Thank goodness you still have time to change direction. It matters not how old you are, if you’re not dead then you’re not done! But you must stop pretending that things will get better if you never intend to quit.

Deep down we know that more of the same produces well…MORE OF THE SAME. You must find the courage to alter your course wherever it may come.  Just last week I was meeting with a long time friend who had just made the decision to leave his safe secure corporate accounting job. He told me that he was born with a passion for music and the grind of corporate America was crushing his creative spirit. With a family to feed and a mortgage to pay, he quit and I was amazed to hear him articulate the new journey he was on. He is now building a company that will provide kids worship curriculum to churches and youth organizations across the country. The guy is a musical genius and there is no doubt in my mind that he will make it work. Why such confidence on my part in my friend…he found the courage to quit what he knew deep in his heart would not last.

We were all born with desire. I have never met a 5 year kid that did not have dreams of becoming a superhero or a professional athlete! At some point along the way the world communicates to us that we are not enough. In some way that we don’t measure up and we should just be “realistic” and “practical” about our future. We are encouraged to play it safe and are reminded that dreams are for kids. Sadly we conform and before we know it, we are 20 years older doing exactly what society has taught us to do. Unfortunately this is not the life that any of us desires to live. Awareness is so crucial and I am simply asking you to take inventory of the life you currently have.photo credit: www.godofstyle.comIt takes courage to step out into the unknown. What is familiar feels good because it is proven. Chances are you drive the exact same route to work everyday. You probably have a ritual that you follow each morning and at night you come home, sleep fitfully and get up the next day and do it all over again. The thing is that we will never do anything differently in life until our pain of same becomes greater than our pain of change. You cannot do “same” and “change” at the same time; YOU MUST FIND THE COURAGE TO QUIT YOUR SAME.

And guess what, it might not work…You may quit once and embrace the change only to find yourself worse off than when you started.Remember though that pain is an indication that you are on the right track. Quitting does not guarantee that you will find your desired path immediately. It does however, put you in the right mindset so that the next time you feel called to quit, it will be a tad bit easier. Quitting is crucial if you ever hope to live out your greatest potential in life. And that my friends, is your purpose. You and only you can make that happen!