One of the most uncomfortable and suffocating feelings in the world is to remain in a place or space or relationship that brings unnecessary stress, drama, or threatens your peace.
I’ve had seasons where I’ve remained in situations I’ve outgrown or held on to people or things I knew it was time for me to let go of, and when I didn’t listen to my inner voice, usually all kinds of hell broke loose. And because I’m no longer willing to allow anyone or anything in my life or space that would seek to threaten my peace or be a parasite on my time, energy, resources, and overall well-being, I know when to walk away.
And it’s a process.
The decision to know who and what to walk away from will require being honest with yourself and may bring confrontation and discomfort, and in some cases, require strategic planning so that you’re able to move on as best as you can.
Deep down you already know who and what you need to let go of, and there’s no time like the present to start making changes.
This is your life. Do what you have to do when it comes to the following:
Jobs. Most of us have responsibilities and don’t have the luxury to just up and quit a job we’ve either outgrown or has served its purpose for the season we’ve needed it, but if you find that you’re in a job or role or working for a company that has a toxic culture and hostile work environment that has gotten progressively worse and leaves you more drained and stressed than ever, it’s time to go. Update your resume, stack your paychecks, and begin looking for another job as soon as possible. While it may not be a convenient time to begin looking elsewhere, the discomfort you feel at the job you’re at could be the catalyst to push you towards something better and get you closer to your dream career opportunities.
Relationships. Whether it be a significant other or family member or friend, you get to decide who you will and will not allow in your space and your life and to have access to you and your time. And if you find you have one-sided relationships in your life with people who are always taking, calling, texting, asking, and expecting from you in areas they are not reciprocating, it’s time for you to reevaluate who gets to stay and who needs to go. A lot of the people you meet will likely be seasonal acquaintances at best, maybe some casual friendships in between, and some cool dates to spend time with, but relationships can get expensive -- on your time, money, and energy. And it’s critical to be mindful with who you choose to allow in your life.
Opportunities. Not all opportunities that come your way are great or worth your time and energy. More often than not, depending on what opportunities are presented to you, it’s wise to get as much information as possible and to take a few days to decide whether or not an opportunity may be a good fit for you. I’ve personally turned down opportunities that sounded great at the time, but upon careful observation and reading the fine print of what was presented to me, I ultimately decided to walk away and later learned I made the right choice. If you get an unsettling feeling about someone or something that may be presented to you or the parties involved are encouraging you to rush about making a decision with the opportunity presented to you, without allowing you reasonable time to make a decision, proceed with caution and consider walking away.
You are not obligated to remain committed to anyone or anything that disrupts or unsettles your peace and emotional, physical, or spiritual well-being. If anyone or anything in your life is stressing you out or a source of constant frustration, you need to let go and walk away.