Over 4 years ago I left my first jiu jitsu gym.  Even though my reasons are solid and unshakeable, I struggled with the feeling of not being loyal. Despite the confusion I felt at the time, it is still one of the best decisions I have ever made. I'm discovering that other people have left their gyms for very similar reasons, and these other people also struggled with loyalty.  

The feeling of "I won't quit", "I can't fail", or "Something will change so I won't have to make a hard choice" is a common conversation that many of us have with ourselves.  So here is your permission to quit.  Permission to quit a relationship with a person, a job, or a gym that doesn't serve you anymore.  Not all quitting looks the same.  Some ties are severed quickly, while others require a strategic exit plan.  And sometimes it gets messy.  Either way, own that choice, close a chapter, and look forward to a new beginning.

To wield something means one can have power and influence over a group of people, a situation, or an object.  It is both a tool and a weapon depending upon how you choose to wield that power.  

Words are powerful tools....and weapons.  What you say, how you say it, and when you say it can help someone, or harm them.  Words of reassurance when unprovoked can help immensely.  People make choices every day that may make them feel they are letting someone down.  I see it most in mothers, the guilt, of requesting some peace and quiet.  A sincere, "I understand. We'll be here next time."  That may lift a weight off their chest.

There is something very magical about this time in my life.  I am so comfortable in who I am, that outside questions hold no weight, and I now recognize when people project their fears onto me.  I simply hold a mirror to their projections and continue on with life.