Confessions of a Quit Addict

Giving Up is Way Easier Than Trying

Were all taught at a young age that when you try and try your hardest, anything you desire might be achieved. This statement for the most part is true but in one quick decision all of your hard work can be easily thrown away. Pushed down, deep into the recesses of your conscience in the same area where regret, guilt, and shame reside; this can all happen in one swift (usually ill-advised) choice, the choice to give up—or quit. In Barbara Graham’s essay “Confessions of a Quit Addict” she describes her adventures in quitting; where it took her, and how it shaped her to be the person she came to be. Through personal experience I too know what it is like to be a quitter and not live up to expectations, and also how to learn from mistakes. Growing up Graham decided that she was just one of those people who didn’t have the “Stick-to-it gene” and found herself dropping out of school during her second year in college. Her first experiences with quitting gave her a rush, so much so that she decided to turn her back against everything and run away from it all. Her adventures would take her around the globe doing odd jobs and eventually quitting to find something else she desires. She was stuck in a situation where she lived in one place but dreamt of another. But the turning point in her life of habitual quitting came with the birth of her son. Although her son came as a beacon or wakeup call that she needs some stability in her life, and moving from place to place is no way to raise a child, she still feels the urge to quit but finds ways to suppress that urge. Unlike Graham I always felt that I had the “Stick-to-it gene”. For the most part I had no problem spending long hours trying to complete something vital to my success. But that notion of inner strength would put to test during the tumultuous time of my last two wrestling seasons in high school. My first two seasons came and gone with no problem, as I was just a beginner