Strength is knowing how to walk away from a bad relationship and doing it!

Strength is the knowing and the doing...Know how to walk away and DO it.

How many of us experienced a relationship in which we knew it were not right for us but we had extreme difficulty walking away and staying away? Ok, it is indeed a rhetorical question but I can see some of you nodding your head in agreement. It is a situation that we find ourselves in but yet find it difficult to find ourselves out of.

I speak of the relationship that we all have either experienced firsthand and/or witnessed someone close to us or even a public figure go through. The relationship that is visibly unhealthy to one party or both parties but either individual find it difficulty to let go for various reasons.

Example: A woman is married to a man for over five years but yet he continuously abuse her verbally and physically but she stays because she have two kids with him, she shares a long history with him since high school and she built her life around him. Or what about the man who deals with a woman who continuously empty his pockets, take advantage of him and only want to be with him because of his finances (we call this woman a "gold digger") or better yet, what about the woman who have a child by a man who she knows is molesting their child but she turns the other cheek just so she continue to receive his love on a daily basis?

These are all situations that are very different in severity, nature and situation but yet has one common denominator - not having enough strength to walk away.

Now you may read those examples and think to yourself:  "that would never be me. He or she is stupid to put up with them and I will never find myself in such a situation". To each its own but one must not judge another's situation because you never know when you may find yourself in a life's situation that may leave others to judge you negatively with little to no understanding. Sometimes we are not meant to understand another's situation but to realize that everything (bad or good) truly happens for a reason. However, you can only learn what that reason is when you have walked away from it and is able to glance at it from the rearview as a distant memory.

Often times, people will convince themselves that their actions are justified to avoid humiliation or to admit that he or she is wrong. However, this illusion only hinders the individual from doing what is best for them. I know to say what is "best" for someone is subjective in nature but for argument's sake, can we all agree that  in the above-mentioned examples what is ultimately "best" for that individual is to walk away from the situation? He or she may learn a great deal from the situation but having the strength to walk away should be the goal and ultimate outcome.

Strength does not mean dealing with the abuse, neglect, disregard, negativity, and any other word that may fit in there that represents all things negative. Strength means not only knowing that the situation is bad for you but having that strength to walk away from it and stay away from it. The true lesson is to realize that we deserve better, we are better and we will leave the bad to seek better. Of course, I know, easier said than done but nothing is impossible when you realize that SELF is more important. Why limit yourself to a box filled with nothing but heartache and pain? It only limits you from reaching your full potential of happiness and overall well being because sometimes our relationships can have a negative impact on all aspects of our life - school, work, home and social life.

The person meant for you is suppose to make you feel higher than life, bring you absolute happiness, treat you like the queen/king you are and  bring joy to your heart on more days than not. If you spend more times crying or hurt in the relationship than you do happy, then it is time to develop that strength to walk and stay away. Your partner should empower you to be better not bring you down to close to nothing. It is so much easier to stick around because of comfort, fear and/or attachment but when you build enough strength to take the steps out the door and out the relationship, you will be taking one step closer to a new chapter in your life filled with promise, wisdom and newfound strength. You will come to realize that the past is merely a great teacher and you are so much better now than you were then.

So while staying is easier, ask yourself - is it really worth my time and energy to continue to fight for something that's NOT worth fighting for? Do I really see myself in this situation for my entire life? Is my self-worth really this low? Of course NOT!

The ones who succeeded are the ones who tried and tried again until they've reached their goal even when it seems too difficult. Don't give up on yourself. Realize that sometimes doing what is hard is more fulfilling and worthwhile than doing what's easy.

Think about your situation, evaluate it, evaluate what you deserve compared to what you are receiving and take that step - muster up enough strength to walk away and STAY away. Allow your past to be what it is - a great teacher.