TIME has a way of reminding us how fleeting life is.
It feels like yesterday when we celebrated the beginning of 2025, full of resolutions, promise and hope.
Yet here we are, in September, with only a few months left before the year folds into history.
For some, the goals set in January are on track; for others, reality has imposed unexpected turns.
This is life’s nature — it does not move in a straight line.
Often, we are forced to re-evaluate, re-route or even abandon certain pursuits when they no longer serve us.
There is wisdom in the proverb which says: “If you realise you got on the wrong train, get off at the very next stop — because the farther it goes, the higher the price to come back.”
This simple truth captures the essence of today’s reflection: holding on, when we know deep down it is time to let go, can be costly — emotionally, financially and spiritually.
- Holding on can be costly
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In many aspects of life, whether in marriages, relationships, careers or business, people often find themselves holding on long after it has become clear that the situation no longer serves their growth or happiness.
Fear of change, pride or societal expectations keep us bound. Yet the price of such hesitation compounds with time.
Take, for example, someone stuck in a job that drains their spirit.
They keep showing up every day, convincing themselves that “it will get better”.
Months turn into years and before they know it, their dreams have withered.
The cost is not just lost income opportunities elsewhere, but also diminished passion, creativity and even health.
The longer we stay in the wrong place, the more expensive it becomes because time is one resource we can never recover.
The same applies in relationships.
Many endure unhealthy unions out of fear of loneliness or the stigma of failure.
They stay, hoping things will change, while the emotional toll accumulates like interest on a bad loan.
By the time they decide to leave, the scars are deeper, the recovery harder and the missed opportunities for joy more regrettable.
The fear of making mistakes often fuels our reluctance to let go.
Society celebrates perfection and frowns upon failure, so we cling to wrong choices in the name of appearing strong.
Yet mistakes are not the enemy — they are teachers.
What is dangerous is pretending everything is fine, ignoring red flags and burying our heads in the sand.
In truth, mistakes should be embraced as detours that guide us closer to the right path.
The quicker we acknowledge them, the easier it becomes to redirect our energy towards meaningful pursuits.
Just as a traveller who takes a wrong turn saves fuel and time by turning back immediately, so too in life we must learn to stop, admit the error, and chart a new course.
Psychologists speak of the “sunk cost fallacy” — the tendency to continue an endeavour simply because of the resources already invested, even when the future looks bleak.
The fallacy is like refusing to leave a bad movie just because you paid for the ticket, even though your time could be better spent elsewhere.
How many businesses have collapsed because their owners kept pumping in money to “recover” what they had lost instead of cutting their losses?
How many lives are unfulfilled because people stayed in careers that drained them, simply because of the years they had already invested in studying or training?
The lesson is clear: the past is gone and no amount of clinging will recover it.
What matters is the cost of continuing down the wrong path.
Letting go is not weakness, it is wisdom.
It takes courage to admit that “this is not working and I need to change course”.
The longer one delays, the greater the cost in terms of time, money, health and peace of mind.
We live in a world that glorifies persistence and rightly so, because perseverance is often the key to success.
But perseverance is valuable only when applied in the right direction.
Exercising blind persistence by refusing to admit mistakes or holding on to toxic paths can be destructive.
There is a thin line between resilience and stubbornness and wisdom lies in knowing when to cross it.
As 2025 races to its conclusion, perhaps this is the timely moment for personal reflection.
Which trains are we still riding even though they are leading us away from our true destinations?
What goals, habits or relationships are we holding on to that are costing us more than they are worth?
It is not too late to step off, reassess and begin anew.
Life is not about getting it right the first time; it is about recognising when it is wrong and having the courage to change direction.
Holding on may feel safe in the moment, but in the long run, it drains our energy, delays our progress and magnifies our pain.
Letting go, though difficult, is often the cheapest and most liberating option. Because, indeed, holding on is costly.
