Heal me Today

Lately, I keep coming across posts, articles, and inspirational quotes on social media that all seem to echo the same message: “If it doesn’t serve you, walk away.” Whether it’s a job, a relationship, a place, or a situation — the default advice seems to be: just leave.

And while I understand where this comes from — protecting our peace is important — I can’t help but feel that this is often the easiest answer. If I walked away every time I felt uncomfortable, lost, or unsure, I’d be constantly starting over. Sometimes, the real growth comes not from walking away, but from staying.

We make promises to each other — to stay through better and worse. Why, then, should the moment things become “worse,” the answer always be to give up? I’m not talking about toxic or abusive situations — those, of course, require protection and boundaries. I mean the difficult phases, the everyday struggles, the emotional lows we all experience.

Work can become frustrating. Relationships can feel stuck. But these aren’t necessarily signs to run — sometimes, they’re invitations to shift something within ourselves. I’ve seen firsthand how small changes in my attitude, effort, or communication have brought big results in my work and in my relationships — with my husband, my daughter, my family, and my friends. And I didn’t need to walk away from any of them to feel better. I just needed to reflect, adjust, and grow.

So while I think it’s good that people know they can leave if they need to, I worry that we’re losing the value of staying — of fighting for what matters, of growing through the hard seasons. Not everything is disposable. Not everything has to be easy.

Maybe I’m just more sensitive to these messages. But I’m curious — do you also feel like we’re being encouraged to give up too quickly? How do you see it?