Wanda’s alarm jolted her awake. She stretched out in bed and gathered her thoughts. Suddenly, the pain came crashing back. It wasn’t a bad dream, he really had ended it. She loved him so much, she was certain he was the man of her dreams, and now it was over. She buried her head in the pillow. The pain was unbearable. It hurt too much to even get out of bed. She would call in sick at work. How could she function, or even think about going on alone in life?

If you are in the same situation, I know it can seem impossible to go on.

You’re down, you’re hurt and it seems as if you have lost in the game of life. But what you don’t realize is that you are down but not out. It is only the first quarter so I want you to use whatever strength you have to get up and if you can’t walk, I want you to crawl, just move off the field and take a timeout. In this timeout I want you to take a close look at yourself and see what I see…a strong, confident, courageous woman. 

I was where you are right now, brokenhearted, thinking there was no way I could win, no way could I create the life I had always wanted…I thought I had made too many mistakes. But I took a timeout, (crying and kicking all the way) and the outcome was a woman who knows the truth of who she is.

You can have the same outcome. Wipe those tears, take a deep breath, look in the mirror and say to yourself “He broke my heart but not my spirit.” Your spirit is something no one can take away from you because it is rooted in a safe place inside of you. It is that voice that cheers for you giving you strength and wisdom. You still have it, just allow yourself to be quiet enough to hear it.

While it takes time to heal from a breakup, don’t hesitate to reach out to a relationship coach, counselor or other professional to help you if you find that you can’t resume your normal daily activities. If you are missing a lot of work, avoiding social situations or fixating on your ex and the breakup, then talk to someone who can provide you with tools and strategies for moving on. That was what I did during my timeout. While working with a counselor, I not only discovered tools for taking back my power and self-worth, I also discovered a new career. I now work with other women going through a difficult breakup or struggling with an unhappy relationship to help them discover their strength, courage and beauty.

Your spirit is your very essence, and it will soar again!