In 2018, don’t go back to the person who broke your heart. The one you thought you could never stop loving. The one who got away. The one who after all this time remains unforgettable.

Getting over someone is never easy. You know instinctively better than anyone else how incompatible and toxic this person is to you. You know better than to revive a relationship that has reached the absolute end as you have seen firsthand how badly this turned out.

Yet when it comes to the actual part of moving on, it is never this simple.

But in the depth of your pain and in the bleak situation you are in, I hope you take heed of how far you have come since then. You’re doing your best to cope considering the damage that hit you. I hope you realize how strong you are and the resilient strength that builds you up from within.

For so long, you have been surviving well without them by your side and you have gotten used to a life without them. You have learned to live and breathe without them. You have learned how to turn your darkest ordeal into the lessons that allow you to live your best-imagined life possible. You have learned to cultivate an abundance of self-love and fill your life with positivity and surround yourself with people who bring you joy. You’re thriving well from a loss that almost ruined your whole life.

So when the new year dawns, promise yourself that you won’t go back to the one who left you before.

Pledge to do the right thing no matter how difficult. Tell yourself that you won’t repeat your old mistakes. Remember your commitment to always choose yourself and what makes you happy.

In the new year, forget all about past loves and former relationships. Mend your broken heart with overwhelming optimism and unstoppable self-love. Erase away all the limiting fears that prevented you from living the life you deserved. Promise yourself to take a chance with life. Give love a shot. Dive into your passion deeply and immerse yourself in doing what you love. Make plans spontaneously and follow your heart. Take risk and let yourself to fall in love without a care in the world.

As tempting as it is to fall back into their arms, to fool yourself into thinking that they’ve changed, you must see them truly for who they are and accept the loss of them. By answering their text, you’re falling back into old habits. By going back to them, you’re reopening your old wounds and setting yourself up to more disappointment and heartbreak.

In the new year, be still in the moment and treasure the little blessing instead of comparing yourself to another. Embrace uncertainty and live in the moment with your loved ones. Accept that happiness is a work in progress by focusing on each day at a time. Quiet the dark worries in your head with strong faith that you’re on the right path and going to the place you’re supposed to. Give yourself a chance and believe that you can achieve all that you desire. Yank free from the chains of the past and refuse to be tied down to anyone.

Because you know that there is more to life than being heartbroken. There is so much more to living than one person. And once you open your eyes to the endless infinite possibilities, you will realize that you are going to live your best year ahead without them.