Giving Up?

I’ve had this question floating around in my mind for the last few days, although it didn’t actually become a question that I could verbalize until a minute ago. The question is, when do you give up? It could be giving up on a person, on a situation, a job, a love, a dream. When do you finally say “…enough is enough. I give up”? I mean, I know we’re always told from the time we’re wee babes that giving up is not an option, that it’s a cop out. But, sometimes giving up is the right thing to do. Sometimes it’s the only thing to do.

Do you give up on that person, situation, job, love, dream even when your gut tells you, contrary to your experience, that what you want is attainable? Our guts aren’t always right, at least mine isn’t. Sometimes following your gut only makes things worse. So, when your gut says give it time, do you listen?

I’m very black and white. I like to fully understand how I feel and what I think, and then decide on a course of action. It’s my being black and white that makes me want to say “I give up” or “I won’t give up”, and not knowing which position to take makes me quite frustrated. There are things that I want to give up, things that seem like lost causes, but my gut says “don’t”. Shut up gut!

Maybe “gut” and “hope” are one in the same? Both can lead us to tremendous joy, or tremendous sorrow. The tricky part is deciding which outcome is worth the risk.

- Bryan