Q is for Quitting

How many of us have quit something because it was too hard? Or because it hurt us, either physically or emotionally? How many of us have quit something we enjoyed because we were told there was something wrong with us? How do we know when it's time to give up?

The answer to all of those questions is it's not. I've read and been told that there are no failures, only new expectations. Quitting and not trying are the only way you fail. Quitting is a sign of weakness.

Blah. Blah. Blah.

I've heard so many things against quitting that I've begun to tune them out. The problem is they're right, to a certain extent. Quitting something before you've really given it a chance is, in my eyes, the only failure there is. If things don't go your way, then find another way to make it happen. If you can't, then change your goal or actions to accommodate the new parameters of the situation.

That doesn't mean there aren't times when you shouldn't quit. Self harm is something that you should quit. Harming others to make yourself feel better is something that should be quit. You should quit abusing someone. These it's not a failure to quit but a necessity. Though with these, a lot of it comes down to perception, a sense of worth, and the willingness to make the changes.

If you want something, don't quit. Find a way to make it work. If you absolutely can't, shift your view until you find what is working and follow that. Follow the positives. Follow the accomplishments. Look on the positive side of things and find reasons not to quit.

Q is for Quitting

I'm a quitter.

That's right, you heard me.  I'm a quitter.

I've quit writing.  No, not today.  Definitely not today.  Today I'm closer than I've ever been to the point of actually submitting my work for publication than I've been for a little over ten years.  But in the past, more than once, I quit writing.

That was a mistake.  I'm a natural born writer.  What that means is I've had some kind of crayon/pencil/pen/word processor in my hand since the day I learned how to read.  My writing is crap most of the time.  But without my writing, I go nuts.  I have to write.  If I can't express myself with the written word then I have a serious build up of random bits of things floating around in my head that escape into my dreams and make sleeping rather annoying and sometimes uncomfortable or terrifying.

Some people draw.  Some people (like almost all of you) write.  Others sing.  Some dance.  Or sew.  Or make jewelry.  Or work with clay.  The list goes on and on.  We're each a natural SOMETHING, and I'm sure at some point in our lives we've all quit thinking we'd never take it up again.

But there it is, on a shelf in the back of our minds - or our closets, or in our garage - and it's taking up space.  It's a reminder of what we swore we'd never get back into.  It's like a dirty little secret lurking there, gathering dust, and expanding until one day it breaks free and we dive back into it.

I did that, and ONLY A NAME is closer to being a publishable manuscript (I hope) than I ever expected it to be.  I've got a dozen or more projects either needing to be edited, waiting to be written, or needing some love to  get them to the point of my writing them (world building and character development).  I LOVE writing and regret ever quitting.

Do I think I'll quit writing again?  Probably.  When the rejections pile up and I feel discouraged.  I may quit for a while.  But writing will always be there and I'll always come back to it.