There is a big difference between giving up and letting go. Giving up means selling yourself short. It means allowing fear and struggle to limit your opportunities and keep you stuck. Letting go means freeing yourself from something that is no longer serving you. It means removing toxic people and belief systems from your life so that you can make room for relationships and ideas that are conducive to your wellbeing and happiness. Giving up reduces your life. Letting go expands it. Giving up is imprisoning. Letting go is liberation. Giving up is self-defeat. Letting go is self-care. So the next time you make the decision to release something or someone that is stifling your happiness and growth, and a person has the audacity to accuse you of giving up or being weak, remind yourself of the difference. Remind yourself that you don’t need anyone’s permission or approval to live your life in the way that feels right. No one has the authority to tell you who to be or how to live. No one gets to decide what your life should look like or who should be a part of it. No one, but you. ~ Danielle Koepke
Friday, April 5, 2013
Giving up vs letting go
I am not sure who Danielle Koepke is, but this quote was part of a longer post that someone shared in my Facebook newfeed today, and I thought it was a perfect explanation of my situation (& possibly yours as well):
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That is awesome. Thanks for sharing it! I couldn't agree more.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful. And so true. Too often, people fail to distinguish the difference between these two things, yet they are so different on so many levels.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love that!
ReplyDeleteWow. That is amazing. Thank you so much for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThat is absolutely perfect.
ReplyDeleteI like this a lot. All things I need to remember.
ReplyDeleteI like that!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the quote!!! I've always thought that many people think that letting go is the same as giving up. I feel that esp. in terms of our infertility journey. In a world that screams "You can do it if you just believe with all your heart and soul and try with all your might", letting go is heavily misunderstood.
ReplyDeleteIt's helpful to see this distinction so clearly and thoughtfully described. Thanks for sharing it, I'm dealing with some letting go and giving up struggles right now.
ReplyDeleteThis is perfect. Thanks for posting
ReplyDeleteI find these remarks helpful, also, and found them in my FB feed, but who is Daniell Koepke? He does not appear to have a Wikipedia page.
ReplyDeleteDaniell Koepke is a 22 year old girl who has a gift for words and a gift for 30-second sound bytes that are an over-simplification and she has never written a book. She might in fact be an artificial intelligence experiment; But we all want to hear the "its OK to give up" messages because we are tired of live's struggle. But you know what??? The best things in life are never easily achieved. And the "give up" advice is ultimately bad in the long run. So stop looking for external permission to give up! Don't be a coward! Keep working at it!
ReplyDeleteShe didn't say, "it's OK to give up." She says, "It's OK to let go." And she explains the difference.
DeleteI agree with Perry Low! My wife is using this very quotes that it's okay to commite adultery, and she doesn't have to deal with it anymore and nobody has to make her feel guilty and its ok to let go of our 20 years of marriage. Oh and she cheated 3 times.
DeleteI've never embraced a single word Danill Koepke has spouted in her quotes. They're so contradicting. So all for this new selfie" generation. No credible "people maker" could seriously embrace D.K's mindset. Her concept is just her opinion. It doesn't matter how many books she may have written. This is selfish, childish thinking that she embraces. I find it hard to believe any credible school would embrace this insanity. This is what's wrong with our world today. There's no tolerance. She calls her "movement" an ACCEPTANCE? Yet all she spouts is to label anyone that torments you as toxic and to run from them. Great coping skills. Try that the rest of your life and see how far you go. As for our families? Yes, we all have a few nuts in our tree. But unless they've broken the law, or are untreated addicts, get over yourself and your perfect world. These family members may be doing all they know how, or have the strength for. So nice of you to throw them away like a nonrefundable bottle. No one I know in the mental health field can legitimately state this method is healthy coping. Let's just consider the guilt for a minute? Not being tried and tested. Irresponsible. I hope the world does their homework before grabbing her infantile, selfish hand.
DeleteWow. I LOVE THIS.
ReplyDelete