Do you struggle with knowing when to let go? Letting go of an idea, a goal, a dream, a relationship, etc? Do you have people in your life that can speak into you and speak the truth even when it hurts?
I was in a relationship for almost two years, and after a year and a half I felt like it was time to move on. Nothing had happened really, I just didn’t feel a peace about things anymore and I knew it would be best for me to end the relationship. Was this hard to do? Yes. Did I cry about it? Yes. Would I do it over again? Yes.
We have to learn how to do things for ourselves. I know too many women who base their decisions and actions off of making sure nobody else’s feelings get hurt. Um hello, what about our own feelings?! Why do we give the best advice to our girlfriends, but don’t listen to that same advice when we find ourselves in similar circumstances? Why do we think we deserve less than we really do?
If you are in a healthy relationship that is going through a rough patch, stay the course. Pray. Seek guidance from close friends and even a counselor. Read books. Relationships are hard and take work; don’t get comfortable and complacent. But if you are in an unhealthy relationship where you feel shame, anger, embarrassment, physical pain…get out. Take care of yourself. Put yourself first for once. Let go and move on. Will this be easy? Probably not. Will you want to go back? Most likely. But you need to be strong. You need to know your worth and value. This goes for romantic relationships as well as friendships. You always hear that you become like the 5 people you hang around with the most, so pick those people wisely.
Besides work, relationships are where you will spend the majority of your time. This includes relationships with your family, friends, co-workers, strangers, and romantic relationships. Don’t spend this time being stressed, taken advantage of, being peer pressured, or anything else that looks like a toxic relationship. But hear me when I say this: any kind of relationship takes work. There needs to be compromise, support, laughter, love, and wisdom. You have to be able to talk about the hard things, as well as silly stuff that doesn’t matter. Know yourself well enough to know when you need to cut the cord. You (and your life) will be much better for it.
*For encouragement, listen to Survivor by Destiny’s Child. They were onto something there.
