While it is understandable to be at a complete loss as to what to do when your life comes tumbling down on top of you, someday you have to give in and move forward. When something happens that you’re completely unprepared for, it often feels like your world has ended.

You don’t know how to cope and you certainly can’t imagine a life with any sort of normalcy. But, learning to let go of whatever has a hold of you is not only beneficial to your state of mind, but it’s necessary if you want any chance at happiness. So, whatever has happened in your world that has turned it upside down, needs to be dealt with in a way that turns it back right-side up. It’s easy to look in the past and only see the good things.

1. Accept what cannot be changed

There are some things that either you can’t change or you have no control over. For example, you can’t make someone accept your apology and you certainly can’t undo whatever has already been done. The most you can do is try to glue it back together, but sometimes the glue just doesn’t hold, no matter how much you want it to.

At a minimum, you need to forgive yourself if you did do something wrong. That doesn’t mean that you’re saying that it was right. It just means that you’re prepared to lay it to rest, learn from it and let it go.

2. Become fully engaged in the present

This is hard, for all of us. This is so hard. Start writing about your daily life. Start keeping notes in your phone about what you did that day, who you hung out with, what you wore, everything. BE FULLY ENGAGED IN YOUR OWN LIFE. Live your life by the ticking second but also find the time to plan a trip with the girls, (or guys!) Plus, you’ll experience a greater level of happiness because you’ll be fully involved in your life.

3. Create a plan for the future

Sometimes people spend a lot of time in the past simply because they have nothing to look forward to tomorrow. There is nothing to get their excitement up for what’s to come.

Find something that excites you and begin to plan it. Put your dreams in motion by taking steps that get you one step closer to where you want to get you to your goals. Get truly inspired and motivated about the life that lies ahead.

The past is in the past for a reason. It’s meant to stay there. Let it go and actually start living your life. You’ve got so much more ahead of you; it would be a shame to waste it.

START LOVING YOURSELF TODAY & STOP LIVING YOUR LIFE FOR EVERYONE