What I Learned about Giving Up from Interacting with a Homeless Person

I always thought that giving up was a sign of weakness. I was wrong. The day I stopped to talk with a homeless person and learned about their life, my outlook on life changed forever. It's not easy being in such a vulnerable place, but it is possible to get back on your feet - if you let go of the negative thoughts telling you otherwise!

"You can't give up!" I said to the homeless person who seemed to be resigned to his life on the street. "This is America! You have a voice and you are capable of making changes." He looked at me in the eye for what felt like an eternity before responding, "If only it were that easy."

There are many people who don't think giving up is an option when they're going through something difficult in life. This is understandable because your identity becomes wrapped up in the idea that you can get out of anything if you just keep trying hard enough.

But what does it say about someone when they give up? I learned a lot about this topic from interacting with a homeless person that I met on my commute to work one day. The first time I saw a homeless person, I felt pity. The second time, anger. The third time, sadness.

Confusion and awe at how to help this situation that is getting worse every day. This blog post will talk about what I learned from interacting with a homeless person on the streets of Stafford, Virginia for three months straight -- especially during one cold November night when the temperature was below zero degrees Fahrenheit.

There's something to be said about the power of giving up. I've learned that it is not an option for me, but for some people, it is what they choose. When you give up on a dream or goal, you are telling yourself that there are things in your life more important than accomplishing those goals and dreams.

Giving up can lead to feeling unworthy and less confident in who you are as a person. But sometimes we need to take time away from our goals so we can come back with more energy and passion for them later on down the road when the timing feels right.

Everyone has their own personal struggles. We all have something in our lives that we are struggling to deal with. It may be a struggle at work or school, it may be an addiction, or maybe you feel like giving up on life altogether. I once had the opportunity to interact with a homeless person while volunteering for a Washington DC shelter and what I learned from him about dealing with difficult times was eye-opening.

Many people will tell you that giving up is not an option, but what if you are a person who has nothing to give? It's easy for me to say that I would never give up because I am privileged enough to have so much. But there was one night when I spent time with a homeless person that made me realize just how important it is not to give up. Throughout the course of our talk, we discussed the importance of faith and why giving up isn't an option.