Maybe it’s time to quit something.
During this quarantine, we have all been forced to break out of our routines and pause on a lot of things that have been a part of our rhythms for years. Activities, committees, gatherings…. some of these things are missed, but I think many of us have also sensed a breath of fresh air in being able to step away from our busy, filled to the brim schedules.
Don’t get me wrong, I miss traveling, watching my kids play sports, dates at restaurants… I am looking forward to returning to all of that. But, I have realized some things were taken away that actually gave me a sense of freedom. There have been things I have stepped away from that I really don’t miss. How about you?
I think that it’s wise to take an inventory of what we miss and what we don’t. As you look at the list of things you don’t miss, ask yourself if you need to return to it, or if it’s something that you could quit.
Perhaps you realize you don’t like being on a Monday night committee, and instead, you want to make Monday night a family night. Make it happen. I’m sure someone else would love to fill your place. Maybe your kids don’t like taking piano lessons, and not having the arguments about practicing has been a healthy thing for your relationship. Think about quitting piano.
Talking back control of what you want to be committed to is a healthy choice. It’s smart to quit things that you know are not right for you and your people.
I asked my kiddos what they felt they might need to quit. There were zero activities on that list… they are excited to return to sports and friends as soon as possible! But, they did have some self-perception insights.
My oldest said, “I need to quit becoming angry quickly.” My middle said, “I need to stop telling myself people don’t like me.”
These comments led to one of my favorite discussions with my kids this year. It’s not just quitting physical commitments but things we have discovered about ourselves during this time too. We have had time to live in a different manner where we are maybe seeing more of our faults in a stressful setting. So what there do we need to change?
We have had to stop so many things temporarily. I think we need to ask ourselves if we want to run back to it all or think about what we need to not return to.
I know that I don’t want life to resume exactly how it was after this time. I know Jesus wants some things in my life to change too. So I will process the things I see and pray about quitting them.
Maybe after taking an inventory of what you have liked and not like during this time of quarantine, you may have some things on your list as well that you want to quit.
Quitting something or many things may be the fresh start all of us need. HLLF –
