7 Powerful Quotes To Help You Move On From Your Ex

I love quotes. I live for them. They can be a great reminder when you start to lose hope in life.

A couple of years ago, I went through the worst breakup, and I hold on to these quotes tightly to “survive.” Sounds exaggerating indeed, but if you’ve been broken up before, you know how brutal it can be. People call it a “mini-death,” and I couldn’t agree more.

No matter how emotionally strong you are, a breakup can make you feel like you are a failure — at least for a while. Especially when you still love the person so much, you would spend weeks crying over your ex. While society tells you it’s normal, it doesn’t lessen the pain either.

During the stages, you’d go from one different emotion to another. Today you hate your ex, and the next day you cry like a baby, thinking you should’ve stayed. It’s like a roller-coaster.

And at some point, when the reality hits you, you realize that life has to keep going. And this is where you’ll need a constant reminder.

***

Below are some powerful quotes that will help you stay on track with your progress to move on from your ex:

1. Accepting that it’s over

“The truth is unless you let go unless you forgive yourself unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.” — Steve Maraboli

This has been my favorite one. I had a hard time letting go of my ex because I couldn’t forgive what he’s done to me. The pain came from the rejection, and part of me feeling disappointed in myself because I wasted so many years staying in that relationship. For what? Nothing. Nada. Just a heartbreak.

And that’s what I found hard to come to terms with. But this one quote reminds me that first, I have to accept it’s over. Otherwise, I won’t be able to move forward with my life.

2. Facing the new reality

“Keeping baggage from the past will leave no room for happiness in the future.” — Wayne L. Misner

Have you seen those people who carry lots of baggage from their past? They look tired and unhappy. And they most likely aren’t in a healthier relationship.

To move on and start a new chapter, you first need to let go of all the things that hurt you in the past. Because there’s only so much room in your heart, and if you want to be happy, you need to make the space for it.

3. Coming back to yourself

“Sometimes it takes a heartbreak to shake us awake and help us see we are worth so much more than we’re settling for.” — Mandy Hale

After the grieving stage, you’ll begin to see the silver lining out of the situation. You start feeling the new hope within you.

I remember that exact moment when I felt like I got my power back. I stopped crying over my ex, and I slowly moved forward with my life by creating a new goal.

It’s only after when you realize that your decision to walk away is the best thing you could ever do for yourself. You can see what you want in your next relationship because you are done settling down for less like you used to.

4. Proving yourself what you are capable of

“It was strange, really. A couple of months ago, I had thought I couldn’t live without him. Apparently, I could.” — Gabrielle Zevin

If it wasn’t for the breakup, I don’t think I’d be able to put my focus on anything else other than my dating life. Because a couple of weeks after we broke up, I quit my job in the city, packed everything, and moved to Bali. I also managed to build a website and had a small success with it.

Looking back, it’s crazy how much power we have within us to create a new path. Those dark days where I thought I wouldn’t survive without my ex has gone. I know I’m capable of doing big things in life — things that actually make me happy.

5. Letting go of the grudges

“Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on.” — Criss Jami

My dad was one of those people who couldn’t let go of the grudges towards his ex-wife. Even until he died, there was something that he couldn’t forgive. I also noticed he was very unhappy in his life and just used his job to cope up.

Hate is heavy. You don’t want that toxic feeling inside you every day. It also can trigger some diseases in your physical health. So if you feel like you can’t forgive your ex, at least stop talking about it to anyone because doing it won’t make it disappear. Instead, it’ll build up more and more resentment in your heart.

6. Getting emotionally & mentally stronger

“Even on my weakest days, I get a little bit stronger.” — Sara Evans

The process of moving on is indeed a long and painful journey. But over time, you’ll see tiny changes in how you feel. This is because you started changing the narratives in your head. You no longer feel like wanting them back desperately, like in the first week you just broke up.

You accept the new reality now, and as this quote said, each day, you become stronger and stronger.

7. Ready to close the chapter

“You can only lose what you cling to.” — Buddha

The relationship is over, so there isn’t any reason for you to cling to the past. And if you look at it from a different perspective, it’s not really a loss.

You gained so much from the breakup. You are emotionally and mentally strong that no one could ever break you again in the future.

***

Final Thought

One of the best ways to make the most out of these quotes is by making them as visible as possible. I lost count on how many quotes I put as my wallpaper on my phone to remind me that I have to keep moving.

If you are going through a breakup right now, I hope you find the light within you soon. Please know that you are still loved no matter what happens in your past relationship. You are worth it.

—

This post was previously published on Medium.

***

You Might Also Like These From The Good Men Project

Compliments Men Want to Hear More Often

Relationships Aren’t Easy, But They’re Worth It

The One Thing Men Want More Than Sex

..A Man’s Kiss Tells You Everything