Whether it’s breaking up with your boyfriend, losing your best friend, or battling an illness, every one of you has experienced heartbreak in your life. So, what do you do when you’ve hit rock bottom and find yourself unable to keep going?

Well, let me tell you something. Just then, when you think every good thing in life has gone to dust, the beauty in your life is actually just starting to begin. Because only through suffering and pain can one begin to experience true joy, right?

It takes knowing the other side, the suffering, to experience the better side, the pure joy. Each person will experience pain in his or her lives, that’s the common denominator we each share. But, the true character of each one of us is revealed by whether or not we choose to use that pain to create beauty.

Think about the most beautiful people in your life. The most joyous people. Those are the ones who have taken their hardships and painful situations for the betterment of themselves or those around them. So, why not resemble those who we so greatly inspire to be?

It starts with a conscious decision we all can make. It may not be the easiest decision to choose joy instead of anger, resentment, or hatred, but I can promise you it will be worth it in the end. Because if we’re happy and can share happiness with those around us, isn’t that all that matters in the end?

When we look beyond our own heartbreak, and use it to build ourselves into stronger beings, it’s no longer the ex-boyfriend, ex-best friend, or illness that wins. It’s us. Our heart reaps the benefit. What more could we want?