How to Be Grateful For a Relationship's End

My mother has saying that I have heard again and again over the years: "Be grateful for what comes. Be grateful for what goes." When what goes is a nasty cold, an overbearing boss or a colony of cockroaches that had been living in your basement, being grateful is obvious and natural. When what goes is a person whom you adored very much and had hoped would stick around a while longer (if not forever), being grateful requires serious soul searching and major mental discipline. But if we are to live lives that are meaningful, abundant and satisfying, we must reside in gratitude not only when it is easy, but also when it takes effort. May these tips help you find reasons to be thankful even as your love leaves and your heart breaks.

Instructions

1. Recite the phrase: "If you love something, set it free. If it returns to you, it is yours. If it doesn't, it never was." I'm not sure if I believe this saying to be entirely true, but I do know that it helps in the process of letting go, so repeat it. Repeat it. Repeat it!

2. Take comfort in instants of gratitude. When a relationship ends before you are ready, mostly you feel sad. This is natural. Amidst the sadness, however, there will be flashes of gratitude and peace. Take note of these, even if they linger for only a blink. Eventually these moments will extent to minutes to hours to entire days and weeks.

3. Focus on the love that is around you. Seek comfort from friends who see your good qualities and who can give you encouraging pep talks. Keep your eye out for strangers who smile at you and for people who show interest in dating you-I assure you that they are out there and will help you remain optimistic about your love life. If you are a spiritual person, make time to connect to and feel divine love.

4. Remain hopeful. Love exists. It does. You will have a relationship again. And a better relationship at that! Don't be afraid to keep your hope for love alive. In fact, it's even OK to hope that you and your ex get back together, just so long as you don't allow that hope to keep you dwelling in the past. Let your hope move you forward.

5. Be excited about the next opportunity to fall in love. There is nothing like the beginning stages of a love: the courting, the butterflies, the first kiss, the new discoveries of a new person. Now that your most recent love has left, you have the lucky fortune to have new love again. This doesn't mean you should rush out and force new love. Be patient. It will come. And when it does, you will be ecstatic.

6. Be philosophical. If isn't right for the other person, it isn't right for you either. You want, need and deserve to be with somebody who wants to be with you without reservation.

7. Be extremely philosophical. In the end, all love comes to an end. Everything comes to an end. We lose it all. We die. Morbid, I know, but true too. And because you die, you better stop longing for somebody who doesn't long for you in return. You better move forward. You better be grateful for every breathing moment you have.