Was there ever a time you almost gave up?

We connected with some of the most resilient folks in the community and one of the most insightful questions we had an opportunity to ask centered around whether there was ever a time they almost gave up. Highlighting some of the responses below.

Mary Leveridge

Does yesterday count? (Just kidding!) I would say this past year has been particularly hard. There was one day around late May 2025 when I wanted to give up on everything. It was part of a situation that had been building for awhile and had really worn me down. I felt ripped open and rubbed raw. Read more>>

Jonathan Freeman

Oh, hell yeah. On the macro level…There were dark days in NYC. I’d walk home from the bars around 4 AM. Across the Brooklyn Bridge in the snow. I’d stop every time for a good long think about jumping. Came real close a couple a time. Actually climbed out onto the railing. I’ve held a gun in my hands more than once. Read more>>

Ava Lauren Grayson

I’ve been writing novels since I was thirteen years old and have been querying agents and publishers since I was sixteen. I have written ten books and have received hundreds of rejections. I thought about quitting once—it’s something every writer goes through. The rejections, the crash outs. Read more>>

Jewell Baraka

I did give up nearly every day for a season. No one tells you that when you are finally physically safe the feelings you have buried for years will suddenly begin surfacing or in my case exploding out of me. That first year that I was finally safe was full of exploding emotions. Read more>>