When does one know it is time, time to move on? Can one ever be assured that the decision will be right? There is always some doubt, is there not, that the decision once made might just not be the right one.
So how do you know?
Is it the ever present pain that makes life seems like a whole lot of suffering? Is it the sadness that is your constant companion? Is it the sense of inevitability that has haunted you for such a long time? Is it the perpetual gloom that hangs over your days? Is it the glimmer of hope you sometimes glimpse of the other? Is it the pervading remembrance of what you used to be? Is this when you know it’s time to move on?
Or perhaps it is only when you are experiencing the liberating sense of relief once you have decided that confirms it to be Right. As if all your burdens have been lifted, you feel light and joyful despite the uncertainty of change. Ah, but this is hindsight…
To stay and fight is not always ‘right’ or ‘appropriate’, neither is to stay and cope. Is it ever wise to remain in an unbearable situation, one which violates the very essence of you, merely to avoid being labelled ‘quitter’, ‘betrayer’, ‘disloyal’, ‘ungrateful’? All valued judgments and labels! Retreat is an option, walking away is sometimes necessary.
To walk away, to move on require strength – strength of character, of will; and it requires courage – to face what lies ahead. Walking away and moving on is hard and sometimes an imperative, it is about not giving up on yourself. It is choosing to leave that which is harmful to you and embracing the possibilities of other. It is the mark of a mindful person, aware of her purpose in life, adapting to her world.
Whether it be in romantic relationships, at work, with family or in friendships, we can all walk away. We can choose to not play the destructive games and move on.
One of the hardest decisions you’ll ever face in life is choosing whether to walk away or try harder. Ziad Abdelnour
MEANINGS AND MUSINGS 