Giving Up – And Why I Chose Not To
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There are moments in life when everything seems to happen at once. Problems don’t come gently; sometimes they come like a flood, and you are left wondering if you still have the strength to continue trying. I have had my fair share of moments like that—moments when giving up looked like the easiest, most comfortable option. But somehow, every single time, something inside me whispered that the story cannot end here.
One particular experience taught me this deeply. A few years ago, I was in a situation where everything I tried simply failed. I was working so hard, both mentally and physically, but the results did not show. I woke up each morning hopeful that “today” would be different, only to end the day feeling defeated, tired, and honestly, disappointed in myself.
There is something painful about trying and not seeing results. It feels like shouting into a silent room. It feels like you are fighting an enemy who is bigger, stronger, and more prepared than you. At some point, I started questioning myself "maybe I wasn’t good enough, maybe I didn’t deserve success, maybe life had already decided its answer concerning me. These are difficult thoughts to deal with, especially when they start repeating themselves every day.
At that time, I remember saying to myself, “I am tired.” Not tired because of physical stress, but tired spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. I felt like letting everything fall apart and just accepting defeat. That was the moment life tested my strength.
But what kept me going?
It was a very simple truth: my story didn’t end yet. I kept reminding myself that life doesn’t always make sense when you’re in the middle of the storm. Sometimes you only understand the meaning when the storm has passed. Something deep inside told me that if I gave up, I would never know what blessings were waiting on the other side.
And then there were people "family, friends, people who believed in me even when I struggled to believe in myself. One simple conversation, one unexpected encouragement, or even one silent prayer can become the light you didn’t know you needed. Their support kept me standing even during the days I didn’t trust my own strength.
Eventually, things started changing—not all at once, and not very dramatically. But slowly. The same efforts that produced no results before started opening small doors. On some days, progress was small, almost invisible. On other days, the smallest improvement felt like a miracle. Over time, I realized that persistence is a seed. It may look buried and forgotten underground, but eventually, it grows.
The biggest lesson I learned from that difficult season is this: giving up is only a temporary relief, but refusing to give up leads to permanent transformation. Sometimes the enemy looks stronger simply because we have not yet discovered our own strength. Life doesn’t always get easier immediately, but we grow stronger with every challenge we survive.
Today when I look back, I am grateful I didn’t quit. If I had given up back then, I would have missed so many blessings that came later. I would not be where I am now. I would not have gained the experience, confidence, and resilience that I carry today.
Life may still throw challenges from time to time, but now I remind myself that I have survived worse. I remind myself that what looks like the end is often the beginning of something new. And I remind myself that storms don’t last forever.
To anyone currently struggling, I want to say this gently: your effort is not wasted, even when it looks like nothing is happening. Your tears are not meaningless, and your pain is not pointless. Sometimes you just need to hold on a little longer. The same day that feels unbearable might become the day that shapes you into the person you are meant to be.
In the end, I learned that giving up is easy, but moving forward even slowly is courage. So whenever life whispers the word “quit,” whisper back, “not today.”
Thank you for reading ❤️
I appreciate the Hive-Reachout Community for this thoughtful prompt and for always encouraging us to share our real-life stories.
Thank you for these thoughtful words.
I know overwhelming it can be when all our efforts seem like we're doing nothing. It feels like the world is going to end
I've been in situations where giving up was the only option but NO, we can't give 'cos I've come too far, I just have to pick my crumps and put my self together whenever I fail
Thank you for sharing such an amazing and insightful write up.