Give up
That word probably sounds bad to you. You may even unconsciously reject it.
It’s normal. We live in a society that pushes us to pursue our dreams – even though it puts a thousand obstacles in our way – and that deludes us with the false promise that we can have everything we want.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. And the sooner we learn to let go, the more peaceful and happy we can be.
To move forward, it is not enough to add, you also have to subtract
When we are young, we have a thousand dreams. We make plans and get excited. It is a stage in which we believe that everything is possible and we imagine different scenarios to find those with which we feel most identified.
But as the years go by, we realise that life is not a blank canvas where everything we dream of can materialise. Reality presents us with situations that we had not anticipated. Old certainties falter, the paths we imagined become blurred and the plans we had drawn up begin to show their seams. Thus we discover that, to move forward, it is not enough to add; we must also subtract.
Life reminds us that we can’t always have it all. And that’s when the ability to let go becomes an essential tool to move forward without carrying unnecessary weight.
Learning to give up is not failing, it is choosing
We have been taught that effort is everything, that we must persist until the end, that “the one who keeps going, succeeds ” or that “if you get tired, learn to rest, not to give up” . But what if continuing to insist only leads to exhaustion, frustration or, worse still, to losing ourselves?
Accepting that we can’t do everything is not a sign of weakness, but of maturity. Knowing when it’s time to let go of a dream, a relationship or a goal that no longer makes sense is an act of emotional responsibility. It involves consciously deciding what we want to invest our energy in and what we don’t.
Because the truth is that we cannot be everything, do everything and have everything . And that’s okay. Life is not about accumulating achievements, but about building a path that makes sense for us. And sometimes, that path requires closing some doors to open others. In fact, Italo Calvino made no distinction between choice and renunciation, saying that “every choice has its reverse side, that is, a renunciation; so there is no difference between the act of choosing and the act of renouncing.”
Letting go, when necessary, is an act of self-love. It is letting go of what could have been and accepting what is. It is letting go of guilt, fear, and external pressure to make room for what really matters to us. It is a process that requires honesty with ourselves and, above all, courage to face the discomfort that can come from letting go of something we are holding on to.
The art of letting go without regrets: when giving up is growing
If giving up seems impossible, ask yourself: why am I still here? Is it because I’m afraid of what people will say? Because I don’t admit I was wrong? Because of the time and effort I invested?
Sometimes the resistance to giving up comes not from a genuine desire to continue, but from a fear of acknowledging that we have changed or even a fear of disappointing others. But that’s called evolution. The person you are today is not the same as the person you were ten years ago, so it stands to reason that your priorities are not the same either.
At its core, quitting is an act of liberation. It frees you from the pressure of having to live up to all the expectations you’ve placed on yourself or that others have placed on you. It allows you to live more lightly, without the weight of goals that no longer resonate with who you are or that have simply slipped through your fingers.
Of course, learning to let go isn’t easy. Giving up can be painful because it confronts us with our insecurities and the need to accept that something we once dreamed of will no longer exist. But, like any skill, it can be learned and practiced. And, over time, you’ll discover that letting go is not synonymous with loss, but with growth. It’s a way of honoring your time, energy, and essence by consciously choosing where you want to invest them.
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