What Quitting Really Means

About a month ago I had lunch with a dear friend of mine. We have known each other for 14 years, and she has really become a member of our family. At this lunch, we were talking about the different things going on in the world today, and in particular, how a friend of hers was in a point of desperation where the friend just wanted to quit.

Then my friend spoke a word of wisdom to hers:

"Well, you know, quitting is just a permanent solution to a temporary problem."

Hmmm...

I sat and thought about that for a moment. At first, I was very much in disagreement. I mean, there are lots of reasons to quit doing something. Injustice, immorality, safety. In fact, I could look back at my life and pinpoint many times when I quit for the right reason.

Or was it always the right reason?

As I thought some more, I realized there were many times I made a choice to permanently end something when if I had just had the fortitude to stick it out, I may have been able to work out the temporary problem over time.

So what causes us to choose this permanent solution to a temporary problem? Well for me, it was usually pride or options. Pride because I thought I was right and how dare someone challenge me. Or, options that somebody else gave me that provided an easier (for the time being) pathway than slugging it through the situation. The times when I did stick it out, it was usually the times I was willing to die to my pride and/or ignore other options. I wish I could say that my track record was better in that regard, but the folly of youth made me much quicker to abandon situations.

I'd like to think that I have gotten better and wiser, and I believe I have. Maybe it's because I don't want my children to look for the easy way out. Maybe it's because the people I am privileged to mentor in my professional life need a message of dying to pride for their own and others' good. Maybe I'm just getting tired of change.

In reality, it's probably all of those things. But at the end of the day, I know that there are much fewer times when quitting - a permanent solution to a temporary problem - is the right path, and that true character and growth come from staying in the ring, fighting, and succeeding in the battle.