Are you stuck in divorce purgatory?
It’s that place where your marriage has died, but you’re not sure what’s next for you. The end of a marriage is something that I don’t wish upon anyone, especially when there are children involved, but it is sometimes the necessary option.
The unraveling of a family unit brings on so many emotions. After your divorce has finalized, you might be asking yourself, “Where do I go from here?” The body is still warm, and the mourning process has just begun.
Things may be alright for a bit because you are trying to minimize the damage, but when the body turns cold, this is the time emotions start running hot.
It’s hard for the ego not to get involved when going through the aftermath of a divorce. It’s as if you never knew your partner at all. All of a sudden, you may not be a reliable and trustworthy parent any longer. Both parties start feeling like they need to “protect” themselves from the enemy.
This may be especially true for anyone dealing with a narcissistic ex. You can read my previous post about handling a narcissistic, Or, like me, you may be in and out of court working with court counselors and judges telling you how to manage your kids, using them as currency to win your battles.
Things can get a little sticky in these situations, and finding your FLOW is the only way to give you back the peace of mind you deserve.
F is for FORGIVE
I know this is hard as hell when all you want to do is make the other person suffer as much as you are suffering. “How do I forgive someone that made my life a living nightmare?” Forgiveness is never about the other person; it’s about setting your soul free and allowing yourself space for love to fill you up, not anger, revenge, or spite.
It’s easy to get lost into a victim mentality, the place where the other person did this to you, but the fact of the matter is you have choices, and it’s time to start making better ones. Being a victim will only render you powerless.
I’m not asking that you don’t do what you need to do if you are in a volatile divorce that requires you to take the necessary action to defend yourself, but I am asking that you forgive someone who’s unconscious. Forgiveness allows you to elevate yourself to a place where only love remains, and nothing else matters.
L is for LET GO
Let go of expectations. Expectations always lead to suffering! We all have expectations after divorce. Expectations that the other person will do “the right thing” that the other person will have the best of intentions, and everything will be as amicable as possible.
More than likely that isn’t going to happen.
At least not at first. I don’t care if you were in a 20-year marriage; after a divorce, you are on your own. Detach from any assumed outcome, and there will be no suffering. Nobody owes you anything. It’s up to you to create the life you want. The experience you had wasn’t working out, so go out and get yours!
Don’t wait around for someone else to pick up the pieces. Pick them up, and move on to the life you deserve! Is it time to reclaim your voice and power—remember those things you forgot in your marriage?
O is for OBSERVE
Observe your thoughts. Your thoughts can easily take you down the rabbit hole after a divorce or grow you to a level you have never seen before. The choice is yours! If you stay stuck in the past on how things “should” have been, or how you “should” have handled matters differently, you will never be able to get to a place of pure joy, and all you have accomplished is you “shoulding” all over yourself.
On the other hand, if you can take the lessons (which are abundant after a divorce) and learn to manage your thoughts and get the help you need, you will be able to find your spirit’s freedom.
Elevating your consciousness is critical. Be conscious of the stories that you create and the labels that you give to this experience. The lessons are neither good nor bad—they just are.
Divorce is just merely that—divorce. Get rid of the labels and judgments you attached to that word and create a new meaning. You are no longer married— The End.
Stop telling yourself that divorce is terrible, that you are damaged goods, and that nobody will want you with children. That’s a load of BS. Trust me, life will move on, and you will get through this even stronger on the other side.
W is for WORK
Do the work! Don’t just jump into another relationship and expect the other person to “complete you.” You aren’t Jerry Maguire. YOU are the only person that is responsible for YOUR happiness. Don’t insert another person into this equation and then dump expectations on their lap.
Remember what I said about expectations? Yes, they lead to suffering, which will guide you down a path of another failed relationship. Get the help you need and start looking at how you got here. Start owning your story.
Divorce is never one-sided, I don’t care what the situation was, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Many people say they don’t understand how they got here, but take a more in-depth look, and you will see all the red flags and warning signs that you may have ignored.
Doing the work requires getting raw and vulnerable and being honest with yourself. It’s time to get to the core of the problem, and you may not see it when it’s so close to your face.
I know how hard the road to recovery is. I, too, had to learn the process of letting go after my divorce. It’s not an easy task, but I was willing to own my part and do the work.
Finding my FLOW is what has led me to live a life I love: a life with no regrets, where suffering is no longer a companion of mine, and where freedom is possible.
FAQs About Moving On After Divorce:
Should I forgive my ex after divorce?
Easier said than done when it comes to forgiving your ex after divorce, especially when all you think about is how you were wronged and what you should do to get even. Take the higher road and find courage in yourself to forgive your ex because it will set you free in turn from feelings of anger, revenge, or spite.
What should victims of divorce do?
The best thing to do in order to keep yourself from falling prey to a victim mentality is to look at the bright side of divorce—and refuse to believe that you are somehow a victim of divorce. See beyond the feelings of hurt and frustration and refuse to live in the past; thinking that person did this and did that to you. Shut the door to your past, move on, make new relationships, and live life fully.
What can I expect from my ex after divorce?
You can expect trouble from your ex if he is an abusive man or else that he would move on with his life. Don’t expect any sort of help from your ex because you will be hugely disappointed and end up wasting time needed to heal and move forward with your life. Remember, the most important person in your life to help you out in this situation is only you.
What is the best way forward after divorce?
How you look at your divorce will not only pave your thinking about what happened to you, but also reflect to others what you are really made of. Be mindful of creating bad labels and sad stories about your divorce for it only breeds negativity, which will hold you back from moving on with your life. Stop telling yourself that divorce is terrible, that you are damaged goods, and that nobody will want you with children.
Can dating stop the suffering from divorce?
Dating can elevate your spirits only when you have mourned the loss of your marriage and have decided to move on with your life. If you expect your date to alleviate your suffering, it will likely destroy any prospects of turning it into a long-term relationship. You are responsible for your own happiness, which will come up once you make peace with your divorce.
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