The Power of Walking Away

When choosing where to expel your energy, where to shift your energy, and what demands your effort - learning the power of walking away is necessary.

Whether it is walking away from a project, relationship, person, habit, or entity... being able to turn your back and keep going is a superpower.

I've made a a few blog posts and a YouTube video about intentional decision making in regards to letting things go (click this one for romantic relationships). So, refer to those in regards deciding if something warrants walking away or not.

As for this post, we are exclusively talking about when the decision is made, how to stay motivated and stay on course with talking away.

There are certain situations that require us to move on. Things we can't change but also cannot accept, things that have proved to have a pattern of negatively affecting us, things that take too much time and effort for no pay-off. Even if at one time they seemed aligned, it is not currently aligning and there seems to be imminent detriment, you have to be prepared to walk away.

Staying in situations that are harmful or unnecessary pulls our focus and time away from the things that truly matter. It can stifle our ability to progress or succeed. Or worse, it can have a negative impact on our life, mental and physical health. 

Upon mindfully contemplating whether something falls into this category and becoming aware that it is, you are now faced with the reality that you have to walk away. But, it very often is easier said than done. It is easy to identify something toxic or unnecessary. It is easy to set an intention to walk away. However, walking away is a series of steps, each one coming with the temptation to turn around and go back. 

The mind can be so tricky, "Oh wait, you can do this differently and maybe the outcome can change." Or "maybe if I tell them I am walking away, they will treat me better." All these types of thoughts are attempting to seduce you into going back, despite you knowing what is right.

There needs to be firm, disciplined dedication to staying the course. Every moment the mind suggests turning around, you must be prepared to fight tooth and nail in opposition. Remind yourself of the pain or frustration. Recognise the attempt of the mind to derail you. You must prioritise yourself and your peace. In these moments, take a mindful moment to remind yourself of the reasons for walking away to begin with. Remember your intention to do better. Think about the things you truly want and how what is behind you, does not align with what you want.

As for the outside temptations, if someone begs for you back or you hear of a situation going poorly in your absence, do not let it travel far into the mind or body. Once it hits your mind, do the mental exercises. And as for the body, do not let habit or instinct bring you back without thinking. Do not allow yourself to be pulled in physically; even if you tell yourself you can get involved without the emotional or energetic investment, you are already there. By simply trying to convince yourself you won't let it be bad again, you are expelling mental power and energy debating with yourself. Tricky, right?

If it is something you ideally would like in your life but it just hasn't been suitable, set firm boundaries and prerequisites for when you allow it in your proximity. If it's a job that refused to pay you properly - refuse to go back unless they offer the amount you want and more. If it is a relationship that has broke your trust and heart more often than you can count, refuse to even have contact unless they acknowledge all they've done and have a proactive plan to fix it without your effort, and then hold out from letting them closer until they prove it. Walking away from something you truly did want can be easier if you have conditions set in your mind for what needs to be done to get you to go back.

Ultimately, it is a difficult process and I commend you for recognising that something requires you to back off. That is self-love. That is empowerment. And I am proud of you no matter how many times you've tried. Keep going. You got this.

- Dani 💙💚