No Matter How Far You've Gone Wrong, Turn Around!
I like to refer to this phenomenon as playing pot-committed (for those of you who are into poker).
[Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/street-tree-nature-wallpaper-52599/]
Pot-Commited
I know so many people that live their lives pot-committed. The terms comes from the following poker situation. Let's say you've already been betting against someone and you placed $500 in the pot, total of the pot is $1000. The person across from you wants to raise the stakes to $550 per person. At this moment you realise you will probably lose because you recalculated the odds. You also notice there is a little voice inside your head going; Ey, you only have to pay $50 more, otherwise you will lose the $500! You pay $50 extra and instead of losing $500 you now lost $550.
Turn Around
I see this happening in life all the time. People know they should quit their job, end the relationship, sell the car or whatever it might be. They know they have made a wrong choice, however they cannot commit to setting it right because of the damage it may do.
"If I break up with him now it will hurt him so much, so I can't"
"If I quit my study now I have worked 3 years for nothing"
Examples like this are being flung around my head all the time by family, friends and strangers. Here's the deal. The second you figure out you made a wrong decision, set it right. As the Turkish proverb goes:
"No matter how long you've travelled down the wrong road, turn around".
What's Holding You Back
The main issue that is holding people back in my opinion is twofold.
They cannot admit the fact they made a wrong choice or don't want to face the feeling of losing on an investment. For instance, when I studied psychology for 1 year and I figured it wasn't for me, I knew that quitting would mean I had 'wasted' one year on a study and not getting rewarded a diploma.
They think that if they just keep going, eventually the investment will bring a positive return.
If you are a number 1 person, that is not too bad, one day you will make the choice. If you area number 2 person you've got a really big issue if you don't realise this. It's the people who remain married to 'the wrong guy' for 25 years. Here's the problem:
You think the road that you travelled on, though wrong, is eventually going to curve and make you end up on the place where you want to be. Or you hope it will cross with another road that will lead you to your destiny. If you are this kind of person look at this map of Norway:
[Image Source: You're Stuck!
If you are the black dot above, and supposed to go to the left to: Loding, instead you take the red route up. There is literally no other way to go back to Loding then to turn around. You will have to leave the country, take a ferry into Sweden, swirl all the way around and still you won't get back to Loding. This is you! This is your life. If you are seriously unhappy with a situation in your life, you can try to fix it, but if you realise you need to go to Loding and are on the road to Bognes, turn around!
In trading, it is called "cutting the lost", I think, before the lost grow bigger. I don't do trading, though.
Thanks @putu300 I think you means cutting your losses? Yes that is a thing people use in trading. By setting up a stop-loss below a certain point.
Yep, do you pour more money into car repairs or buy a better car?
A little over simplified maybe but start somewhere.
This post has reminded me of a saying which states that "When things go wrong, don't go with them." Things will go wrong on a daily basis.Sir i guess It's our job to use our creativity and intellect to find solutions and grow through our obstacles.
@jordanlove well you can go through obstacles all day long. What this post is meant to indicate is that sometimes the obstacle is there for a reason. Sometimes it is better to actually sway around them, or turn back.
This quote is such a concise summary. Simple, true. Full of wisdom.
I had not heard this before either.
A very beautiful pine forest, with a landscape down the road towards the mountains.
Yes @saifullah05, if there is any road to being walking wrong, this would be a good pick ;)
Yes of course, because every road that has been passed is of course the path to a right direction ..
Hmmm I'm not necessarily sure I would agree with that, I can think of some people in history who took a road I wouldn't per se call a right direction. Anyway I was more talking about the aesthetics of this road :)
Hola muy cierto lo que dices todo tiene un ciclo de vida y cuando se acaba hay que dejarlo a atrás y seguí hacia tu horizonte sin ataduras ,saludos
Yes exactly @maggy7419 it is okay to let things go when time has come to do so ;)
Si amigo todo tiene su fecha de vencimiento...jejeje,te invito a que me visites a mi blog para que conozca mas de mi y del país donde vivo y poder contar con tu valioso aporte,saludos
Thanks Maggy! I'm currently translating your messages in English because I don't speak Spanish that well haha :P
For everything one does it's good to have a rethink.
Yes, and when that rethink makes you realise you're doing something wrong, stop doing it. ;)
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That is the simple, honest truth.
Putting as much effort into changing courses as forging down the wrong one would likely get us twice as far.
Somehow it seems to be against our better judgement to cease and desist rewardless efforts but know deep down the right action to take. Comes with over thinking sometimes.
If you have caught the attention of anyone with your post and they turn around....good for you!
Thanks @nananini glad to see you agreeing ;)
Seems I find myself appreciating, relating to, agreeing with and learning from your posts!
Yes! :) And I'm truly happy with that!