We all have our different moments in life when things may tend to be too bleak, and hard that we can’t possibly see a way out of the predicament. Being humans, some of us might be tempted to think that giving up is a better and even the only way out. But more than often, those who give up realize almost soon after giving up that had it been they persevered just for a little longer, life would have smiled upon them with a better fortune.
While we encourage you not to give up no matter what it is you are passing through, there are practical steps you can take to keep a sane mind and also some important questions you need to evaluate yourself with. In the end, you will see how bright that proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” has been all the while.
Questions To Ask Yourself If You are Thinking of Giving Up
The enormity of a problem can becloud your sense of reasoning at times, when this happens, you may see things that are not as if they are and your present problems may seem gigantic than they really are. All you need to do to get out of this delusional phase is to ponder over what is making you consider giving up by asking yourself these important life-changing questions.
1. Are you really pursuing your life’s purpose?
We are all born with a purpose and we live all our life trying to fulfill that purpose; this is called purposefully living and it’s the ideal way everyone should live their lives. Have you discovered your purpose yet and everything you have to do to achieve it? Perhaps the reason why you are tired and thinking of giving up is that you have been pursuing what is not your purpose. This has a way of demanding more than what one can offer; in the end, it will leave the person drained. So the very first question is “are you pursuing your life’s purpose?”
2. What is the cause of the problem?
Your problems might not be what it seems to be until you look into it. In order to find out what the cause of your problem/s is/are you need to question every aspect of the perceived problem and find answers as much as possible. You might even find out that your problems may not be as serious as they seem and could be solved one at a time and not altogether at once.
3. How about seeking help?
Yes, how about you ask for help if you have gotten to that point in your life and all hope seems lost, it may be time to look/ask for people who have been through that path and open up to them. Do not be afraid to let someone in on what you are feeling or passing through because if you don’t they will probably never understand the enormity of the issue at hand.
4. What motivates you lately?
Take a deep breath and reminisce on how positive/colorful your life used to be. Chances are that by so doing, you will remember how motivated and confident you used to be about life. Though those days are far gone now, but your memory of them is a leeway for you to see the brighter side of life and why you shouldn’t give up.
5. Are there people around you with bad energy?
You will never know how much influence people around you have on you till you trace the cause of your problems to them. Do you surround yourself with people who see you as a “no do well,” always complaining and criticizing you unnecessarily, etc? They could be the reason why you are thinking of giving up on life and everything else.
6. Do you have bad energy yourself?
Haven dealt with the external. it’s time to look inward and ask yourself if you are the source of bad energy in your life. Perhaps you have been blaming others for way too long without purging yourself of the source/cause of your problems. This self bad energy can come from negative self-talk which is basically the unspoken thoughts that run through your head. To find out if you have this, ask yourself these questions: Am I too critical? Do I complain a lot?
7. How much effort do you think you have put in?
When something becomes a routine, it has been discovered that most people will generally reduce the amount of effort or commitment they put into doing that thing over time without knowing it. Even though they may still see themselves working on a daily basis, but there’s no much enthusiasm to do the work. Therefore it is important you constantly ask yourself how much effort you are putting into your life’s pursuits. Are you still enthusiastic about it as you used to be in the beginning?
8. Have you been too hard on yourself?
By whose standards do you judge your successes? It is given that we have different abilities and can attain our life dreams at various lengths of time. Therefore, if you judge yourself by someone else’s standard, you might be doing yourself more harm than good because you are not that person and will never have equal abilities to them.
9. Does success scare you?
Are you scared of what achieving your dreams entails? If you do, you are not alone. It can be referred to as “success anxiety” or “success phobia.” This fear in itself does not pertain to the success and the good that will come out of it, instead it relates more to the change the success will cause. This fear can be seen when you show perfectionist tendencies, procrastinate a lot, set low goals for yourself, and easily think of quitting and giving up in life.
10. How about the people looking up to you?
The truth is no matter how lowly you see yourself, there is always someone who you are better than, and perhaps someone who is looking up to you. People look up to others for various reasons; for some, it might be as a role model while for others it might be for the personal belief they have that the other person will be successful. So at any time you think giving up on life is the way out, just remember there is someone looking up to you and you owe it to that person to pull yourself together and forge ahead.
11. Are you setting smart goals?
How smart are the goals you have set for yourself? Are they Specific; well defined, clear, and unambiguous? Are they Measurable; criteria that measure your progress toward the accomplishment of the goal? Are they Achievable; not impossible to achieve? Realistic; realistic, and relevant to your life purpose. Timely; clearly defined timeline.
12. What will you tell another person if such a person were in your shoes?
When you have exhausted all options, but still thinking of giving up, the ultimate answer lies within you. What will you tell another person who is thinking of giving up? Certainly, you will not encourage them to give up so why would you think of giving up yourself?
Steps To Take And Avoid Giving Up On Life
The power to give up or not simply lies within you. It is your call to make and you should and whether you end up succeeding or not will be determined by the willpower you enforce your decision with. Though this might become overwhelming when you’re in the middle of a problem, with everything in life, there are practical steps you can take to navigate through. In the end, you will not give up on life but instead, realize how strong and confident you are as a person.
- Tell yourself you won’t quit
Quitting is a mindset and likewise not quitting. Fortunately, you are at liberty to adopt either irrespective of how gigantic the problem might be. Because after all, you have been in that problem for some time/some days now so why are you thinking of quitting when you might be already halfway through if not at the end?
- Ask yourself “why”
In order to avoid giving up on life, you should always ask yourself why. Why am I doing this in the first place, why am I thinking of quitting, why I shouldn’t quit. Question each and every reason that comes to your mind and as you do this, you will soon realize that the problems are not as intimidating as they seemed to you.
- Ask yourself “how”
Saying no to giving up doesn’t mean that you should keep doing things the way you have been doing them or simply sit down and do nothing. No, it is a wake-up call for restrategizing and try out other means. You might be thinking of giving up on life because your current approach to life might not be working, so why don’t you try another means. Remember that even the greatest inventor of all time Thomas Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. How many approaches have you tried at solving your life problems?
- Speak to someone
It doesn’t have to be your friend, you can consult professional counselors or someone you know who has been through your predicament and got better afterward.
- Persevere no matter what
Rather than giving in to failure, use it as a stepping stone and never give up on your goal. Review the lessons you learned from the failure and restrategize on how to come back better.
Good or Bad: Is It Ever Okay To Give Up On Life?
Giving up on life could mean different things to different people, but no matter who you are or what you are passing through there’s a common ground for everyone. When you give up on life, you have simply been drained, outwitted by life’s vicissitudes, defeated and somewhat dead. Yes, giving up on life can lead to death because apparently when there’s nothing one is pursuing in life, the person is literarily dead.
It is never okay to give up on life because the consequences far outweigh the benefits even if there’s a benefit at all. There are countless stories of people who didn’t give up when they were at their worst but persevered a little longer and just then life smiled upon them with good fortune. For example, Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team but today he is one of the greatest basketball players the world has ever known. Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper job for not being creative enough but today years after his death, the animation company he set up continues to make some of the most creative cartoons and films our generation has seen. The list is endless so why give up?
Is Giving Up A Sign Of Weakness?
In the book – The Great Pearl of Wisdom, the author Bangambiki Habyarimana said “Giving up is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength. To know that you can’t a win a particular battle is wisdom.” But it doesn’t mean you should stay idle and do nothing and expect things to get better. No, it doesn’t work that way. In fact, if you sit back and do nothing, that is when giving up becomes a weakness and you will realize too late that you were better off working hard to make life better for you.
At any point in life, you are thinking of giving up, life becomes depressing and stressful, which will diminish your happiness with no chance of it ever-improving. But should you determine to persevere, you will most likely realize just how close you are to the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” all the while. Quitting is never the easy way out, a lot is at stake to be lost and any effort you have made in the past will all amount to waste. It will show that you are weak and a no do well. so why quit?
