When is it time to remove yourself from a group or quit a job? How about when you’re in a volunteer group or an organization you joined for fun?
You join a group or organisation for fun then something happens along the way and you get that feeling in your gut that you’re no longer welcomed and you no longer want to be a part of the group.
Do you stick it out or try to make it work? If so, at what cost?
Do you quit?
I was taught not to quit or give up easily but, instead to keep trying harder and to always do your best. I remember what my mom used to say: “Good, better, best. Never let it rest until you make the good better and the better best.”
Paying the price
What price do you pay for staying in an unsafe situation? And, instead of thinking of surviving, how about thinking of how long will you pay the price with your happiness?
Staying in an unhealthy situation…and I don’t necessarily mean an unsafe situation, but rather a situation that causes angst and doesn’t bring you happiness. It actually takes away your happiness. Makes you miserable. Makes you question who you are, what you’re doing, and what your talents are.
I recently picked up a book that I’ve had on my bookshelf for 20 years, “Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow” by Marsha Sinetar. Like I often do, I opened the book to a seemingly random page. It often happens that I open to the page that is relevant for me at the time. I opened to the page that references the book The Language of Feelings by David Viscott, M.D.:
Your ultimate goal in life is to become your best self. Your immediate goal is to get on the path that will lead you there. Why should you feel guilty if you refuse to be intimidated by [someone] who persists in standing in the way of being that best self or who is “hurt” when you finally manage it?
…You are not here on this earth to fulfil the unmet dreams of a frustrated parent or to protect another person from facing the reality of himself or the world. You are here to develop and grow, to do your share to make the outside world a better place to live, to make the immediate world in which you live, the world that is you, as honest and as true to your feelings as you possibly can.
Listen to your intuition
Leaving something that no longer serves you or brings you happiness can be difficult but is necessary for living a peaceful, joyful life. Listen to your intuition—that still small voice within you—that tells you whether something is adding joy or misery to your life.
By allowing yourself to disconnect from what no longer serves you, you make room for connections and experiences that feed your soul and spirit.
About the author: To find out more about Julie Ostrow, click here.