One of the most difficult obstacles we can encounter in life is the moment we realize how little time we are often given to spend in some of the best moments. It is those times when you wish your train was delayed or that his smile could linger just a moment longer or that maybe he will decide not to go after all.
But you have to let them go.
We cannot keep people for longer than we are meant to have them. Maybe they are ours for years or maybe we were only lucky enough to know them for just a few, quick moments. Whatever the case and whoever they are, just know that the length of a moment does not dictate its value in your life. You can meet someone once and remember them forever, or you can spend years with someone who will eventually become nothing more than a distant, foggy memory. Love will often come to you in the unlikeliest of times, and if you spend that time dreaming of what it could be, you will miss out on all that you already have.
Love is tough. It can hurt us in ways we never thought possible. The after-effects of another person’s love can make us wish that we had never even bothered with them in the first place.
But if we never tried, we would have never experienced all of the beautiful moments either.
Maybe the bad moments outweigh the beautiful ones in some instances, but from those bad times, we can learn so much. You can draw so much inspiration from the pain if you just allow yourself to feel. Yes, he hurt you, and yes, this relationship forced you to face demons you never even imagined. But just think of how much stronger you became because of the hurt. You can either let the pain destroy you, or you can use it to build yourself up and discover who it is that you really are. What makes you tick? What is it that truly drives you?
Without hurt there is no suffering, and without suffering there is no growth. How can you possibly know where to reach if there isn’t something trying to hold you back in the first place? Often, we never realize how much we want something until someone tries to tell us we cannot have it. Maybe he doesn’t want you to take the job because you would be too far away from him. Maybe you’re sitting there, packing up the boxes to leave when you realize that is the last place you ever want to be.
Don’t let someone else’s idea of what is right for you dictate how you live your life. Your gut will never lie to you. You will always know deep down when something doesn’t feel right, but acknowledging that fact is certainly easier said than done. But I promise you, the moment you tell yourself enough is enough, you will begin your steps towards freedom.
We all need a little tough love from time to time.
Whether it is in the form of a person or a problem, we will all have experiences that push us and guide us towards becoming our truest selves. We can either dwell on the fact that the amazing moments have passed or that our life plan has shattered beneath us, or we can pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and know that we are going to be okay. We will remember the good moments for the happiness they brought us, and we will allow for the bad ones to guide us to a place we know where we can finally be whole. Love will never be easy, but it will most certainly be worth it. Happiness is truly all a matter of perspective.
Life can be so beautiful if you let it be.
By Becky Curl for ThoughtCatalog