Monday, April 8, 2024 Enough, Already! There is a difference between giving up and knowing when you’ve had enough Blogs Newsletters National By Quentin Steen, Representative/BC Member Education Coordinator How many times have you uttered the words, “Enough, already”? I’ve lost count over the past five years of the number of times I’ve been in the circumstances, externally and internally, as most of us have, where I was faced with a choice: to give up or to keep going. But there is always another option: to know when you’ve had enough and move on. When I have had enough and chose to walk away, it’s not because I was running away or shrinking back but because I simply had enough of something or someone that no longer served my mental well-being. I’m not ready to give up when there is so much at stake for the things that matter to me. Not what other people think should matter to me but what really matters to me—my family, health, justice, and work as a mental health instructor, to name a few. That leaves a lot of room to walk away from things that have never been important to me. This is my growing edge of reality. The older I get, the more I find myself—without shame, guilt, or a sense of falsified obligation (usually from others)—walking away when I’ve had enough. This leaves room on my shelf for the essential things. When I feel like throwing in the towel on those essential things, I try to gently remind myself that these are the pivotal times in life where I need to find the grit to keep going for today. One step at a time. Bruce Lee said, “If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there; you must go beyond them.” If you quit now, you’ll end up right back where you first began. And when you first started, you were desperate to be where you are now. So, keep going! For the things in your life that matter right now—and make no apologies for doing so. Afterall, it’s your life, right? So, live it as the best version of yourself you can be. Decision time: Today, I will walk away from . . . (you fill in the blank) and for this reason . . . ! Quentin Steen is a certified mental health first aid instructor for the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Get your BRAIN right and your MIND will follow! 3 Mental Health Resources to Help You If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health issue, CLAC has a number of resources and interactive tools available to help you at My Health and Wellness. Stronger Minds features videos and quick reads from mental health experts, activities to help you gain resilience, and ask-an-expert videos in response to questions. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) provides accessible, reliable, and professionally produced resources on an array of health topics including (but not limited to): addictions, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression, etc. You might be interested in Why We Work Safely 5 Jun 2026 Standing Your Ground, and Staying Steady on the Job 4 Jun 2026 CLAC Partners with Alberta Government to Advance Skilled Trades Training and Accelerate Certification 4 Jun 2026 Strathcona Mechanical Workers Ratify New Agreement Providing Wage, Scheduling Improvements 3 Jun 2026