Like clockwork, we find ourselves back on square one. Holding on to that one moment that changed everything — you know what I'm talking about. The split second that took every ounce of hope and faith we held on to and demolished it with reality. In that moment, you felt imprisoned within your own walls, and you have yet to break them all down. In the midst of every glimpse of joy, you still feel that twinge of sadness, and wonder if you'll ever escape.

It all started when we realized that today will never bring back yesterday, and we began to dread tomorrow. In most cases, all sadness, heartbreak, and disappointment is rooted in change. What we have previously known and felt comfort with is now a figment of our past, and oftentimes, will never return. There was a time when your heart leaped at the thought of the one you love, knowing that, in that given point in time, he felt it too.You wondered how you had spent your whole life without him, and wished and prayed that your flame would never blow out.

And then it did.

Just like that, your life changed. The one you revolved your world around for so long became solely a memory, and the damage seems to be irreparable. The pieces to your puzzle are missing, so how are you supposed to put your heart back together again?

Time heals, but does not forget. We put our strength to the test and begin to remember how we lived without them. We continue living our lives, but cannot seem to shake the feeling at the pit of our stomachs that rests there for what seems like eternity. We start seeing new people, but no longer know how to trust, or how to keep ourselves from comparing everything to the one that left us broken and lost. The past can consume us, and tear away every strand of hope we have for the future, if we allow it to.

Let's face it — we miss them. Most importantly, we miss the feeling of being loved and wanted by someone we hold closely to our hearts. We lie in bed, night after night, replaying those special memories that left us floating on a cloud of bliss. Although it may have seemed like perfection, it wasn't, and it ended. Somehow, in some way, you got lost in translation. You can spend your time wondering why, or you can break free from this hurt.

It's time to break the cycle. It may be the hardest thing you've had to do, but you need to try to let go. By constantly replaying what we once knew, we hold ourselves back from creating our future. My challenge for you is to cut yourself off. The past is over forever, so don't let it determine the rest of the life you have yet to live. Give yourself a chance to find happiness and to set yourself free from the storm that washed out your ever-burning flames.

There are times in your life in which you'll feel like the end is near. There seems to be no way out, and the light at the end of that tunnel is masked by the darkness of sorrow. The truth is, you're going to be okay. It's a learning process, a part of growing up and finding yourself. You were put on this earth to be a warrior, and you can conquer anything if you write yourself a new beginning. This life truly is what you make of it, so release yourself from the past and pave the way for an incredible future.

YOLO, right?