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Poetry

The Value of Walking Away: Life Lessons (A Poem)

Molly Transatlantic Notes

Encountering life lessons (the good, bad, and ugly) is both inevitable and necessary; learning from them brings personal progress and growth, even when it’s really tough. Sometimes these truths and wisdoms bring clarity, awareness, and a new direction — especially when they empower knowing when to walk away.

There will be times when we come to realise that moving on from something or someone is unavoidable; we have to do it in order to safeguard our physical and/or mental health. It may take some time to figure out (or accept) what needs to change, but experience and instinct frequently prove to us that certain people, relationships, situations, or even our own mindset are not always beneficial for our well-being. We become aware that either a shift needs to happen or one has already begun. Life lessons not only teach us valuable things; they can also illuminate a path forward.

“Life Lessons” is a poem by Molly from Transatlantic Notes that reads, “Some things are lighting a path for you to walk away.”

Knowing when to walk away and set healthy boundaries for ourselves is an important life skill we should all spend time working on. Prioritising personal health and wellness in this way helps develop resiliency and an ability to lessen stress and drama that negatively impact us. Providing time and space to clearly acknowledge (and act on) what needs to evolve requires us to first listen to our needs. Recognising when it’s time to move on from something or someone is a way to take charge of our own lives; we get to focus on what really fulfils us.

This is not to say that letting go is about giving up altogether on a life goal, relationship, experience, etc.; it’s more about allowing ourselves to be free from what emotionally weighs us down. We are granting ourselves permission to transform and rebuild in a way that puts self-love at the centre of new beginnings. Stepping away or instituting clearly defined boundaries will not be easy; feelings of trepidation, hesitation, and fear are likely to arise. Nevertheless, if these changes advance us towards living and experiencing a happier, healthier existence, it frees us up to pursue the things we may not have believed we could or should reach for.

Understanding when the appropriate time has come to walk away will not be the same for everyone; however, signs like persistent feelings of dissatisfaction, being held back or mistreatment are common. Other manifestations of life lessons that point to needing a fresh start could include; a sense of loss (of self), exhaustion driven by a situation or person, increased stress, depression, and anxiety or a breakdown in trust and respect. Working on how to begin again may seem daunting at first, but it’s how we grow — it’s all part of recognising purpose and seeking a life well lived.

Life lessons represent a crucial part of personal growth; they teach us something about ourselves and encourage us as we navigate through challenges and obstacles — which will sometimes include knowing when to walk away from what no longer serves us. It may take time to listen and acknowledge what needs to be released, but seeking out what liberates and enriches our lives is always worth doing.

What do you need to walk away from? What changes can you make to help you grow and flourish in life?

Further Info:

What’s the Right Way to Walk Away? – Psychology Today

NAMI Helpline – a free, nationwide U.S. resource that offers experienced peer-support guidance and advice

FindAHelpline – global (by country) resources for free, confidential mental health support

Safe In Our World – a list of global (by country) LGBTQ+ mental health resources and support

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34 thoughts on “The Value of Walking Away: Life Lessons (A Poem)”

  1. I love your poem, Molly. It’s such a simple but powerful message. And the entire topic is one I’ve been trying to learn. I’m definitely guilty of holding on and trying to fight to make a relationship work when I should be letting go. I recently had to let go of a relationship and this is a good reminder that it was the right thing to have happen.

    1. I find these moments of clarity come to me when I am going through something that needed to hear these words so I am glad you cam across this and it connected. Ending something or moving on can feel daunting and painful so I hope you keep this poem with you. Sending you good vibes!

  2. It is hard to walk away sometimes but its necessary. Does the good outweigh the bad or does the bad outweigh the good? Sometimes that’s not even the case as people can just sometimes grow apart especially when they are on a journey to improving themselves. With improving and growing sometimes your energy no longer aligns with who you are with.

    1. It is definitely hard to walk away from any person or situation that we have grown away from (even if it’s good that we do). I think alignment is a great way to see these changes; sometimes that shifts and we are meant to move forward. Thanks so much for reading!

    2. I agree with you. Weighing the pros and the cons is a start. When you start to compromise a lot of yourself is it really still worth it? Otherwise, you simply just need to walk away.

  4. The poem is short but powerful and sends a clear message. It can be hard when you in a situation to feel or have clarity about how to get out of it or to walk away. I have found it hard to walk away before, however I am trying to know my boundaries and when I should for my own sake walk away. Thank you for sharing.

    Lauren – bournemouthgirl

    1. I have found it hard too, there is so much doubt or enough good things in the past that it can make us hold on just a bit longer than perhaps we should. Sometimes we just need to hope and believe that better is on its way to make the choice to walk away. Thank you so much for reading!

  6. Yes! I super love this. I used to feel bad that a relationship (friendship, work, or phase) had to end. But really, it’s just lighting the way on to the next path.

  10. This is a beautiful poem and you are so right in what you say here! Knowing when to walk away is so valuable.

    Corinne x

  11. What a great poem. Sometimes it is necessary to walk away from certain situations. Thanks so much for sharing!

  12. Wonderfully said, Molly. Knowing when to walk away is something we all need to realise at some point. Sometimes you can move forward quickly and other times you have to work through a lot of trauma before you can let go. But learning to recognise the signs that something is no longer serving us is the first step to letting go. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Recognizing the signs and listening to ourselves is key to knowing when to walk away. We often ignore them or explain them away but they will keep showing up and impacting our physical and/or mental health until we take notice. Thanks so much for reading and sharing your insight here!

  14. I love this poem! I find it so difficult knowing when to walk away from things but it’s so important to know when it’s time to move on. I’ve recently walked away from some friends and it was so freeing! Thank you so much for sharing this x

    1. I can be so hard to make that decision but it ultimately needs to be something we should do if a person or situation impacts us negatively. I am so glad this poem resonated in the way it did!

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