I'm going to show you that giving up is good actually, but I'm going to do it using the story of a naked mole rat. 

The Naked Mole Rat Who Couldn't

Naked mole rat wanted a lot of things. He wanted to live in a nice, big house instead of a tiny dirty hole in the ground. He wanted a shiny red car to drive around instead of relying on his short, stubby legs. But more than anything else, naked mole rat wanted a full head of thick, beautiful blonde hair. 

Naked mole rat was determined. Every day, he researched new hacks to grow hair. He slathered rosemary oil onto his shiny bald head. He spent hours massaging it, repeating positive affirmations like, "I have a head full of hair." He even tried crystals. 

But let's be real: naked mole rat will never grow a full head of thick, beautiful blonde hair. This isn't some cute, sappy story about how a naked mole rat bought some Rogaine to make his dreams come true. No, naked mole rat is genetically naked. It is physically impossible for him to grow hair. 

Well then, could he just buy a wig? No, he cannot buy a wig. Naked mole rat isn't a dirty capitalist like you. He doesn't have a job. He will never buy a house, he will never buy a car, and he sure as HECK will never buy a wig. 

So what CAN naked mole rat do? All he can do is give up, and maybe you should, too. The end. 

What? That story isn't good enough for you? You'd rather his fairy freaking frog mother come poof him up some goldilocks? No way, what's the point in telling a story about something that could never happen to you in real life? To feel good? Yeah right. This is WoeBeGone Goods, not Disney Channel. 

And believe it or not, this is a happy ending just as it is.

Giving Up is GOOD, Actually

Naked mole rat was never going to grow hair, no matter what he did. All that time spent trying to grow hair was time wasted feeling bad about himself. 

If you have something you're considering giving up on, write a list of all the negative things this desire is bringing into your life. You can do this in the comments if  you'd like. Now write a list of all the positive things this desire is keeping out of your life. 

Look at your list. Do the positives that your desire MIGHT bring into your life outweigh the negatives that your desire is certainly bringing into your life currently?

When naked mole rat finally gave up, he stopped wasting his time wishing for miracle solutions like magic hair potions and fairy frog mothers. He had more time to do positive things like committing arson with his friends. His stress levels went down, which was good for both his mental and physical health.

And after a while, he realized he is no longer obsessed with his hairlessness. He goes days without thinking of it, when he used to not even be able to go minutes. And after even longer, he decided he doesn't really mind his hairless head after all. 

This isn't a story of defeat, it's a story of self acceptance. 

How to Know When to Give Up?

Of course, not every goal, dream, and desire is one that you need to give up.

But if your desire is as impossible as naked mole rat's, then it's easy. It's time to give up. 

If you have a long list of negativity that the desire is bringing into your life. It's time to give up. 

If the desire is an obsession that stays constantly on your mind without letting room in for other thoughts, it's at least time to give it a break, if not give up. 

It isn't easy giving up a long held desire. You'll have to mourn the person you wanted to be. It will hurt. 

But what's worse: mourning the loss of a dream, or endlessly running up a hill to nowhere? 

Write your reasons to give up vs not give up in the comments below, and I'll try to discuss with you whether you should give up or not. I encourage other readers to do the same, let's start a community of support on this article. 

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