Yup you heard it right, I’m thankful to have been cheated on. Not just because I got rid of someone who wasn’t worth it – although that’s always a plus! But because it taught me some unexpected life lessons I wouldn’t have learned otherwise.
I’ll admit in the moment, all I felt was a kind of gut wrenching, heart breaking pain that was indescribable. My world stopped spinning and my tears came in daily doses, I put the drama in dramatic. But to be fair, loving and trusting someone and then having them throw it all away can take a toll on you.
But as a glass half full kind of girl, I was inclined to find a silver lining. And luckily, I found three.
- Strength
I learned my strength. I cry at just re-runs of Grey’s Anatomy, so you can only imagine the waterworks when I found out I was cheated on. It was nothing short of painful and I won’t ever forget it. But through the tears and sniffles, I was still alive, breathing and blessed! So, moral of the story: I got cheated on and I lived. A concept I considered crazy when I thought my life was falling apart. But sometime between the months that passed and the healing that took place, I came out stronger than ever.
- Forgiveness
I learned to forgive. And not the kind “you took my shirt without asking but I’ll let it go” forgiveness. This is more like “you took my trust and stomped all over it behind my back” forgiveness. It’s hard, but doable. I learned forgiveness doesn’t equal validation. Their actions were still wrong, but I just no longer held on to the feelings of anger or resentment. I moved on and I forgave.
- Confidence
I learned my worth. Before I analyzed every day, what did I do wrong? How can I be prettier? Smarter? Better? So, I won’t get cheated on again. But over time, I realized I’m not the problem, my crappy partner was. I didn’t want to go through life feeling sorry for myself, so I simply didn’t. I became my own kind of perfect.
It’s painful. It’s hard. It sucks. But if you have the right mindset and stick to your true self, you will get past it.
Even better, you will be grateful for it.