I used to have a thing about failure. I had an even bigger thing about giving up on things because it was choosing to fail rather than having it forced upon you. The thought was completely foreign to me. You were meant to keep going until you died – hating what you were doing was no excuse to not keep going. Neither was knowing that there was no point, that you were just continuing to put time, effort and energy into something that was never going to turn out right.
I’ve learned since then that there is such a thing as a hopeless cause you just cannot fix. It’s very noble and pure to just keep trying and trying. But it’s not particularly healthy to force yourself to finish something just for the sake of finishing it.
Giving up on something you can no longer benefit from or contribute to is alright. It’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s something to be proud of because it means that you’ve learned to critically evaluate something and you’ve realized that you’re not doing what’s best for you.
Of course, there are hopeless causes that you’re emotionally attached to. This is not the same thing as what I’m referring to. What I’m talking about right now is that project or goal or milestone that you keep working towards with gritted teeth, hating every moment of it just because you refuse to give up on something because you don’t give up.
Know that there’s nothing wrong with cutting your losses sometimes. It can be the best decision to make for yourself because sometimes, things go badly or we change or circumstances change. Give yourself the out if you need it. You’re not any less because you didn’t cling kicking and screaming to something that was no longer any good for you.
The Imperfect Muslimah 