We’ve all had our share of bad relationships. Whether you’ve had one or a few of those that went sour, it’s always hard to move past them. They leave us feeling sad, angry and drained most of the time. We can try to forget about them, but it’s easier said than done. Even if we manage to move past them, they often stick in the back of our head and pop up to the forefront at the wrong moment, when we’re trying to build something new. They make us jaded and cautious, unlikely to jump carelessly into what might turn out to be a great and lovely adventure with a new person. So how about, instead of trying to forget them, we just try to see them in a positive light? We can learn from them and use the experience to brighten our future instead of plaguing our present. Here are a couple of tips on how to do that.
1. When One Door Closes Another One Opens
Sometimes things just have to end in order for other, better things to begin. Everything happens for a reason, and that breakup you keep thinking about might actually be the first step to you meeting the love of your life. Now that you’re free you’re open to new people and new relationships and that’s great!
2. You Weren’t Right For Each Other
Everyone keeps saying that relationships aren’t easy, that they require effort and hard work. So, often, we try our best to make something work, even if it’s not meant to work. You have to entertain the possibility that you two just weren’t meant to be together, you’re just not compatible with each other and it’s ok.
3. You Learn From Your Mistakes
It’s easy to dwell on negativity left over from the break up, but there’s a way to see it as a positive. After all, you learn from your mistakes. You might think the last couple of months or years were a colossal waste of time, but really, you learned a lot about yourself and how you act in various situations, and you learned about the sorts of people you aren’t compatible with.
4. Bad Experiences Shape You As A Person
Everything that happens to you has an effect on you. Both good and bad experiences shape you as a person and make you who you are. See it as a learning curve. You’ve learned some new things about yourself, you’ve learned how you act under pressure or in stressful situations. You’ve leveled up, you’re better off now.
5. What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
Sure, it sucks that you had to go through this bad relationship, but now that you’re out of it – you’re stronger. You came out the other end with knowledge and experience, you’re tougher and smarter. You’re also much more likely to see the red flags early now, before you actually get involved with someone that’s wrong for you. Also, you now know how resilient you are and that you will be able to deal with similar situations better in the future.