Walking Away

"When self-respect takes its rightful place in the psyche of a woman, she will not allow herself to be manipulated by anyone."  -Indira Mahindra

The human's "fight or flight" response was first described by Walter Bradford Cannon as a physiological reaction that occurs in response to our feelings of attack or stress.  But where does the act of just walking away become an option?

Since high school, I have been judged as "running away" from my problems.  Yes, I moved the middle of my Junior year to escape a toxic household, but I did so for my own psychiatric health and stability.  Of course I have changed jobs when I felt that I was no longer appreciated or wanted to stretch my talents and abilities... sometimes both.  I have had to walk away from friendships and relationships that were damaging to my self-esteem.  Running away to avoid difficulty is a lot easier than walking away.

I believe when you feel disrespected and you just can't handle it any more, sometimes just removing yourself from a negative situation is truly the best option.  You choose your battles, but some situations you can just feel don't hold enough value for the "fight."  Your time is precious.  If your expectations are continually resulting in disappointment or hurt, it means a change must be made.  To me, that indicates the difference of running away in fear or walking away with dignity.  It's about your self-value, not about being scared of conflict.  In fact, it takes courage and strength - especially if you want to stay.  Everyone has their opinion, but you just have to do what you feel is right for yourself.  You live with yourself, for yourself, so your feedback is what has to matter the most.

In the end, the truth is eventually revealed.  It can be heartbreaking that what you have been working towards or truly enjoying just isn't adding value to your life.  Other times, you can see that your efforts just are not going to be enough, no matter what you do.

While running away is a "flight," walking away can be empowering.  Especially if you can focus on what you are now heading toward and disregard what you are leaving behind.  Moving forward requires exactly that: continuing in a better direction.