starting up is praised. everybody encourages you to start something new — a business, a hobby, a relationship.
rarely does it even get acknowledged that for a new start you usually have to stop something first: quit the job you hate, break up with a negative person, let go of life-long fears. the most difficult part gets little attention.
stopping is important but tricky, because most starts in life are unconscious. picking up bad habits is easy; little compromises are invisible; urgent over important feels natural. stopping, on the other hand, requires alert and going against the flow. when you need to stop something and it’s hard, it may mean there was an easy start in the past.
finally, you don’t only stop to start something again. stopping is a practice; it’s a cure. getting rid of something to make room is a good deal in itself. removing things that no longer make sense brings clarity and insights you don’t get otherwise.
starting is about dreams, enthusiasm, impatience, pivots, impulse.
stopping is about reality, reflection, acknowledgment, analysis, conscience.
stop more often than you start.