Knowing when to let go.
Knowing you’re better off letting go of something that's been a huge part of your life is difficult. It’s letting go of something, someone, some activity which has been a staple in your life.
How do we redefine ourselves in order to break out of the mold that we have built for ourselves? How do we break our own high expectations?
For all of my life, I have been involved in swimming - I'd been in and around the water since I could crawl. Swim team, synchronized swim team, lifeguarding, teaching swim lessons, and summer time water sports... I've done them all. Although, now I've reached a point in my life where swimming isn’t a central feature to my life, and this is something I've decided to take as a blessing for new discovery. I've embraced the new experiences I have gained, and the increase in opportunities to expand my talents into other areas I never thought possible.
I arrived at my decision not to continue my swimming career through evaluating what I really wanted to devote my time and energy to, and really thinking about if I were truly happy and enjoying my time in the pool. During my intense freshmen year of swimming, my body was pushed to its limits, my mental health was beginning to take a downward turn, and I ultimately came to the realization that this wasn't something I enjoyed anymore. Arriving at this decision wasn't difficult for me, but what was difficult was thinking about what others would think of me for "quitting" and not carrying on another season.
Explaining to my family and friends why I decided not to swim was what made me feel like a failure. My family raised me to never give up - why had I? Was I not strong enough? Are they secretly disappointed in me? No. They aren’t, and never were. In fact, they were extremely proud of me and all that I had accomplished.
But why did it take me so long to believe it?
Answer: Because of my own high expectations and how I thought others would perceive my choice of letting go.
Swimming is still a sport I immensely admire. Although now it’s something I used to be involved in, a category I used to be placed under, something I used to be active in.
Letting go, and deciding not to devote your previous levels of time and energy to something does not make you a failure! Letting go isn't the weak choice! And ultimately making the decision to let something go in your life opens more windows than it closes doors.
I promise!
