If you're human, there is a good chance you've had your heart broken before -- and you've probably broken a few hearts along the way too.
People are constantly saying that getting your heart broken is the worst thing to ever happen and I really can't sit here and disagree. I've been there and it sucks. But you know what? We're all better people thanks to this horrible, unavoidable feeling.
When I initially got my heart broken, I would have never opted for the "I'm going to be a better person after this" excuse. Instead, I wanted to lay under my covers, cry and stalk my ex on all forms of social media until I fell asleep, only to wake up and cry some more. I wanted to be alone. I wanted to know what I had done wrong. How could this hurt so bad? What did I do to deserve that?
Looking back, I realize that the answer is nothing. I had done nothing. Break-ups and heartbreaks are essentially a part of life that everyone has to deal with at one point or another. Eventually, those feelings of hate, sadness and self-pity went away. They faded with time as if it never happened. Without defeats, we would never know victories. Without being at our lowest low's, our highest high's wouldn't seem as amazing.
What I'm trying to say here is, with heartbreak comes growth. Out of those dark times we all experience will emerge a stronger, more confident, more independent, self-loving person. Sometimes we get so caught up in the hurt, we forget to be grateful for the type of person that came out of it.
Here are five reasons to thank the person who broke your heart.
1. For exposing you to what else life has to offer.
Relationships often have a way of making us close-minded individuals. We cling to that person we are with and forget about the world surrounding us. After a break-up, we are forced to open our eyes and see that life is happening, all day every day, and it is our choice to seize the moment or get left in the dust.
2. For preparing you for "next time."
It's true when they say "the first cut is the deepest." Going through your very first heartbreak is an incomparable feeling. It rips all the hopes and dreams you created your entire life right out from under you, leaving you empty and hurt.
After going through it initially, you become stronger and better off for the next time. You'll know how to handle it, just how many quarts of ice cream you'll need and how to easily pick up the pieces and move on.
3. For allowing you to find yourself.
I know when I was in a relationship that ended in heartbreak, I always thought of myself as "me and ____". I rarely ever thought about what I wanted or what I needed on an individual basis. It was always about solely them or both of us.
After getting my heart broken, I was able to find myself. I discovered what I liked on my own and what I didn't like. It was motivation for me to become the best version of myself, to prove I was going to become a better person after this. I ultimately learned who I was.
4. For shining light on the relationships hidden flaws.
Love is blind. Blinder than just about anything. It often allows us to get caught up in the feelings and leaves us forgetting the reality. After a heartbreak, you are able to take a step back from the relationship, as an outsider, and realize what was wrong and what never worked. This becomes a growing process for future relationships, giving us the opportunity to not make the same mistakes time and time again.
5. For loving you.
Everyone wants to be loved. No matter how the story ends, you'll always have the story. Love comes and goes in the blink of an eye and you'll probably have your heart broken many, many times before finding the one. But in the time you spent with this person, you laughed, you cried and you made memories. Memories you'll have for the rest of your life. Be grateful.
I believe it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all, right?
