"I remember the first time I walked away from someone who didn't mistreat me but who also didn't quite meet me. I had spent years unraveling my old patterns: the people-pleasing, the over-giving, the "maybe this is enough" mindset. For the first time, I didn't override my intuition. I didn't pretend I was okay with something that didn't feel like home. I left. And I felt powerful. But two days later, I sat alone on my kitchen floor, not crying, not spiraling-just aching."
"No one warns you how lonely it can feel when you finally stop contorting yourself to fit someone else's story. When you stop abandoning yourself just to be loved, there's often a pause before something new begins. A stillness that used to be filled by "almosts" and "maybes" and "well, at least I'm not alone." When you've been used to bending, standing tall can feel stark. Spacious. Bare."
Knowing your worth after doing the inner work and setting boundaries often creates an aching emptiness. That ache comes from awareness: no longer settling and no longer contorting to fit someone else's story. Leaving relationships that don't meet you can feel powerful and also deeply lonely. Clarity saves energy spent explaining needs but introduces a pause before new connection begins. Growth brings quiet, cutting grief for illusions and comforts once clung to. Standing tall can feel stark and bare. Patience, self-trust, and allowing space for grief are necessary during this sacred in-between.
Read at Tiny Buddha
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