I gave up. (You may want to think about giving up, as well.)

WHOA.

What?!

Just “give up”?

Yep.

OK, OK - it’s not what you think.

It’s not “give up” in the sense that you stop moving every day towards your dreams, or that I’m suggesting you just throw your hands up and exclaim, “THIS IS ALL JUST TOO &*!@% HARD!!” Truthfully, if you’re living a big life, chances are that at some point you’ll want to do that. I want to do that sometimes, too.

And still, I gave up. I gave up ways of being that were no longer serving me. I gave up feeling like I “should” be living some kind of teeny, tiny life where I don’t “rock any boats” or go after my dream so that I get to live every day on my own terms.

I gave up feeling sorry for myself when I put energy into something that didn’t turn out the way I expected it to.

I gave up harboring jealousy towards people who I thought were “further along” in life’s journey than I was.

I gave up resentment for the “people in charge” who were “making me” do things that I didn’t want to do or didn’t see the value in doing.

I gave up living haphazardly and having zero terms around my time, and to what and to whom I thoughtlessly gave it away.

I didn’t just give up, though. In the process of giving up, I got so much in return.

See, when I stopped feeling sorry for myself when life didn’t meet my expectations, I was able to connect with the idea that everything turns out exactly the way it’s supposed to turn out, and to the idea that I can learn something from every situation, which brought me peace.

When I realized that we are all on our own journey, and that there is no “further along” or “behind” at all, I was able to focus better on the road ahead of me. From that, I forged a stronger connection not only to my own dreams, but also with the students I have who feel they need to be measuring themselves against their peers. I also became more accepting in general, which again brought me…peace.

And when I became more selective about to whom and to what I handed over my time, I discovered that I had exactly enough time for the important things…and, actually, for everything.

So, if you want to give up, too…it won’t be easy at first.

At first, it will feel strange and uncomfortable.

Then, one day, you will know…it was probably one of the best decisions you ever made.