The Art of Moving On: How to Begin.

Like many things, it's easier said than done. But the most important thing to remember is that it's possible.

We've all gone through difficult moments that felt overwhelming and impossible to deal with in the midst of it.

And if you think about it, you've made it past 100% of those struggles. That is if you're still here and possibly reading this.

So how is it we do this? How is it that some of us are still capable of moving forward and living our lives after weathering unimaginable storms?

Here are what I believe to be some answers:

You're able to accept whatever situation you may find yourself in.

You can accept life for what it has given you and what it currently is. You accept that these are the cards you've been dealt.

Sure, you complain when you're disappointed, sad, or displeased. But you don't stick your head in the sand and pretend nothing is happening.

You roll with the punches, adjust, and adapt, taking it one day at a time.

You know that there's no way to control outside factors like how other people respond or what they may say, choose, and think.

And you don't care all that much because you know you're doing the best that you can, and their opinions don't have an impact on your life.

You're able to forgive yourself for any mistakes you may have made along the way and make it a point to learn from them so that next time, you can do better.

You're able to accept the pain and grieve the losses.

You take the L and keep moving.

Like I said, you're able to roll with the punches.

That doesn't mean put up a front and pretend nothing affects you. No.

When you're sad, you allow those emotions to flow. Whether you kick, scream, or drown your tears in a tub of ice cream, you deal with your feelings.

You don't stuff your them deep inside and pretend they're not there.

You allow yourself whatever time is necessary to grieve what you've lost.

You don't give yourself arbitrary timelines to get 'over' it.

You know you're human, and whatever time it takes to heal is whatever time it takes.

You don't dwell too much on the past.

Sure, you may talk about it and wonder what may have been if things had worked out differently, but you don't dwell on it or constantly wish that was the case.

You can accept the circumstances you find yourself in, adjust, and make the best of it.

You've seen others who constantly dwell in the past and know that it contributes nothing to your present and future.

You don't pretend the past isn't there or didn't happen, but you don't let it dictate your present choices.

You see past mistakes as a learning opportunity.

You have grace and forgive yourself for these mistakes because you didn't know better then and did what you thought was best or right.

You take responsibility for your wrongdoings and understand that making mistakes is part of life and the growing process.

You have faith that plans, dreams, or ideas not panning out have a bigger purpose and are redirection.

You know that just because something doesn't work out right away, it doesn't mean it's not meant to be.

You've learned that hard work, consistency, and time are necessary to make anything happen.

You also know that there are only two things you can control in any situation — your thoughts and how you respond.

You have faith that plans not panning out are for a bigger purpose and a reason you have yet to learn.

You have faith that life and this journey you're on will somehow, someway, work out for your benefit because, in many aspects, it has.

Since you don't dwell in the past, you can let people and places go, look back reflectively, and realize that being separated from them was good because you were being held back — you're redirected.

You understand that there is only one chance we have here on this earth and that holding onto pain, resentment, or failure is a waste of time that holds you back from figuring out and pursuing your purpose.

Takeaway.

Accepting the reality you find yourself in, accepting the pain that comes from losses and dealing with it, not obsessing over the past and constantly dwelling on it, and having faith in the future are the foundational steps for moving on.

There's no timeline for these things, nor are they mutually exclusive. These steps can happen either one at a time or all at once.

But as long as they are taking place, rest assured that you're doing what it takes to move your life forward despite any of the challenges and obstacles that you've faced, are facing, and will face.