On Walking Away

I think we all experience times when we want to just give up and walk away from something important in our lives, be it school, careers, a relationship, etc.  We all have our bad days, where our dreams just seem too big (or not big enough), where the amount of work ahead of us becomes too much, or the emotional turmoil of continuing just doesn't seem worth it.

The question then becomes - do we walk away?

It's a question I think is different for every person, in every situation.  I wish I could say "no, absolutely not!  Never give up on a dream!"  But the truth is, sometimes I wonder if walking away might be the wiser choice (I should note, however, that I'm not advocating giving up on dreams!)

For example.  A person goes to college, studies a minimum of four years, and spends a lot of money and time and effort, in hopes of getting a job.  Maybe they decide three years in they aren't so sure about their chosen career path (this happens A LOT, and everyones reaction to it is different).  Some people will acknowledge it, and change course, while others will stick with it to the bitter end.

And here's where the real challenge begins.  Who's to say which decision is the better one?  Some people would rather finish school quickly, and have their career in a field they maybe wouldn't have chosen, but have the qualifications for now.  Others might opt to stay in school another few years to change paths.

Whether that decision is right for them or not depends entirely on that person and their circumstances.

Sometimes, taking the least scary option is a good idea.  Sometimes, though, it's not.  Fear and freedom are strange companions, maybe, but they are most definitely companions.  At that point, you have to decide if you're willing to take on a scary task to keep moving forward, and commit to it.

Anyway.  I've been thinking a lot about the impact a decision to walk away could have, vs a decision to stick with something.  I haven't come to any strong conclusions, other than I tend to majorly over-think things when I'm avoiding a decision...