Proceed With Caution: Dating After Divorce
Posted by: kstewart in Untagged on
Sep 23, 2011
Feeling your pain
We are conditioned to run from pain -- but in fact learning to embrace
it can quicken the healing process. Splitting is very painful and so the
natural thing to do is try and run from it. We may opt to find comfort
in solace, the bottle, antidepressants, pain killers, dating or anything
that can give us short term gratification and distract us from feeling
our emotions. Unfortunately this serves to only prolong the healing
process or, worse, take us down the road of self-destruction. There is
no question that being faced with uncertainty about what lies ahead can
be very unnerving when you feel so vulnerable, but the best recipe for a
happy future is to learn to be present with your feelings.
Building your understanding and taking your time
Understanding ourselves and our role in our relationship takes time and a
willingness to be introspective. Working with a good counselor can
help with this process but unfortunately there is no way to get to a
place of objectivity without putting in the time and the effort. Just
look around at the jump-back-in crowd. What often results is some very
disheartening short-term relationships. While finding someone who you
think might complete you seems romantic, we need to remember
that Tom Cruise's famous one liner, "You complete me," really implied he
was not complete on his own. Take your time and learn to enjoy life as
a single person.
Finding the right life partner
They say that 90% of your happiness in life is dependent on who you
choose as a life partner. This does not mean that we are dependent on
our partner for happiness but rather that choosing the wrong one can be
disastrous. In order to move forward and attract the right person and
not just the same person in a different package, you have to patient,
committed and have a true understanding of yourself. You have to do the
"work." We know that like attracts like and so ensuring you are in a
healthy place will increase the likelihood of you attracting a healthy
partner. Ask yourself: Am I OK to be alone? Do I still blame my ex for
our marriage breakdown or am I accountable for the outcome? Do I still
have strong emotions associated with a past relationship? Have I given
myself a couple of years to heal? Are my kids open to a new person in
my life? Am I a healthy individual? Do I know what I am looking for?
Do I know what I have to offer? If thumbs up to all then it seems like
you are good to go -- but do proceed with care.




