Knowing when to walk away.
A meditation in discernment.
Hi,
My name is Karen.
Thank you for joining me today.
Let's begin.
Gently.
Always gently.
Take a moment to arrive.
There's nowhere that you need to go right now.
No problem that you need to solve.
And nothing that you need to prove.
Just allow yourself to be here.
To feel the support beneath you.
The ground holding you.
And perhaps notice your breath.
Without trying to change it.
There's nothing that needs to be altered.
Just notice that you are breathing.
There are moments in life when we find ourselves caught in a struggle.
A disagreement.
A misunderstanding.
A conversation that keeps circling.
Person who seems determined not to hear us.
And sometimes we believe.
That if we could just find the right words.
.
.
If we could explain ourselves more clearly.
If we could prove our point.
Then finally the other person would understand.
But sometimes they won't.
And sometimes the most difficult wisdom.
Is recognizing that being right does not require us to keep arguing.
Notice what happens in your body.
When you imagine having an argument that has gone on too long.
Perhaps there's tension in your jaw.
Tightness in your shoulders or your chest.
Clenching in your belly.
Maybe your breath becomes shallow.
Just notice it.
Not to judge yourself.
Just to recognize the cost.
Now gently ask yourself,
What is this costing me?
My energy.
My peace.
My attention.
My sense of myself.
And now ask another question.
Is this something I can actually change?
You don't have to answer that immediately.
Just listen.
Discernment is not giving up.
It's not weakness.
Not surrender.
Discernment is the ability to recognize.
The difference between something that requires your courage.
And something that requires your release.
There are battles worth standing for.
And truths worth speaking.
There are boundaries worth protecting.
And there are moments.
When the wisest thing that you can do is stop.
Breathe.
And walk away.
Imagine yourself standing at the edge of an argument.
You can feel the pull to defend yourself,
To explain,
To correct.
To make the other person understand.
Instead.
You pause.
Take one breath.
And ask yourself.
Does this deserve my energy?
And perhaps the answer is yes,
Perhaps.
It's something important,
Something that matters.
Something that needs your voice,
And if so,
Stay,
Speak,
Stand your ground.
But perhaps the answer is no.
Perhaps this is simply a place where your energy is being drained.
If so,
You're allowed to leave.
You don't have to win every argument.
You don't have to correct every misunderstanding.
You don't have to convince everyone of your truth.
You do not have to attend.
Every battle.
Simply because someone has invited you to it.
Sometimes walking away is an act of self-respect.
Sometimes silence is wisdom.
Sometimes the most powerful response is no response at all.
And perhaps now you can imagine yourself walking away.
Not storming away.
Not defeated.
Not bitter.
Just turning.
And walking toward what does matter.
Feel the difference.
You're not walking away because you're afraid.
You're walking away because you have discerned that your energy belongs somewhere else.
There's an old story about a tiger and a monkey.
The monkey insists to the tiger that the sky is green.
The tiger knows the sky is blue.
And so the tiger argues.
And argues.
And argues.
And finally,
Exhausted.
The tiger takes the monkey to the lion.
The lion listens.
And then says.
Yes.
The sky is green.
The monkey celebrates,
Gloats,
And happily hops away.
The tiger is furious.
How could you say that,
He asks.
The lion replies.
I know the sky is blue.
But the monkey is a fool.
And you are foolish for wasting your time arguing with one.
Perhaps there's a little wisdom here for all of us.
Not every disagreement needs to be resolved.
And not every person needs to understand us.
Not every battle.
Is ours.
And so gently ask yourself.
Where am I spending energy?
Trying to convince someone of something.
They are not willing to hear.
And then,
What would happen if I stopped?
Maybe nothing.
Maybe the other person would continue believing what they believe,
And perhaps,
That's okay.
Your peace does not depend on everyone agreeing with you.
Your worth does not depend on being understood.
Your truth.
Does not become less true.
Because someone refuses to see it.
Take a slow breath in.
And as you exhale,
Let something go.
Not because it doesn't matter.
But because you matter too.
Take another breath.
And quietly remind yourself.
I choose where my energy goes.
I choose the battles worth having.
I can stand where I need to stand.
And I can walk away.
When it's time to walk away.
This is discernment.
Knowing when to speak.
Knowing when to stay.
Knowing when to leave.
Knowing the difference.
And perhaps as you return to the space wherever you are.
You can carry this with you.
You do not have to win every battle.
You only have to be wise enough to know which ones are yours.
Feel the ground beneath you.
Feel your breath.
And when you're ready.
Gently open your eyes.
And continue your day.
Mostly gently.
So much love.
