Someone on the boards this morning wrote:

I wish there was an easy way “out” of the sadness/longing/”needing” but there isn’t.

But, there is.

There is an easy way out. In fact, letting go of all the pain and sadness is far easier than you think. It’s as simple as one tiny *belief.* Trouble is, we complicate things. We think to get from point A to point B takes years of struggle, chaos, long rambling journeys and mountain climbing. When in actuality, it usually takes us humans that long to arrive at something that was right in front of us all along. And what is it? What is this one tiny belief? It is this: it is the belief that YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN WHAT THIS SITUATION OFFERS. 

Poof. There it is. And it takes nothing more than a blink to arrive at that belief. It is the same belief you have within you that allows you to choose a nice car over a clunker; a pretty dress over a mediocre one, and a better piece of fruit in the produce aisle as opposed to one that is dented and bruised. And if you think there’s anything more to it, or years or learning, or a secret path known only by the illuminati, you’re wrong. It is accessible to each and every one of us. It’s right in front of our faces for the taking. 

And here’s the best part: when you deeply believe you are worth more than a particular situation, and your actions back up that belief, things start to look a whole lot different. If you believe you are the type of person that should not be shopping at Wal-Mart, but rather at Macy’s, then you most likely don’t shop at Wal-Mart. If you believe you are worth more than eating at a McDonald’s and that your body deserves better than that type of food, then chances are you eat at better restaurants with cleaner, healthier ingredients or you cook for yourself. If you believe you should have a better job than cleaning out bathrooms at a rest stop, then surely, you seek out a better job.

If this example sounds elitist, it’s because it is. It is the kind of mentality that separates the privildged from everyone else. They grew up believing they deserved better.Do they technically deserve better than anyone else? No. But they BELIEVE they do. And that belief is the driving force of all their actions. It drives them to choose better restaurants, better colleges, better jobs, better lovers, and better friends. Do they always “win” or never suffer? In the big scheme of things are they worth more than anyone else? No. They suffer like the rest of us. They lose like the rest of us. And they are no better or worse than the rest of us. But their belief in themselves is the one determining factor that sets them on a different path than someone who lacks belief in themselves. 

And while the Wal-Mart/Macy’s example of priviledge clearly requires money, our personal struggle with love addiction does not. We do not need a dime to BELIEVE we deserve more than the miserable place we put ourselves in. We do not need a penny to BELIEVE we have value. We can create that value from within. We can create value out of nothing more than a passing thought that we choose to hold on to and embrace.

So…when you look back at your relationships, or feel that this is all you’ve ever wanted or the only thing you’re capable of getting, the “easy way “out” of all that is to BELIEVE in yourself. To stop in your tracks and say, I AM BETTER THAN THIS SITUATION. The PoA is McDonald’s and I don’t eat there anymore. Why? Because I now BELIEVE that if I feed myself with better food, I will be healthier and stronger. Saying goodbye to McD’s, therefore, becomes an act of self love. Saying goodbye to the PoA becomes an act of self love.

And you, my friend, are a rare and beautiful gem. Not to be bet on during a hand of poker among a group of gambling fools. You belong in the hands of someone who recognizes your value. But, in order to place yourself in these caring hands, you must first recognize your value yourself. When you do, the longing for crumbs disappears. The sadness of that loss is replaced with a feeling of joy and accomplishment for choosing a healthier way. And the needing is met from within and from your interactions with real, substantial, healthy people that feed you, not just stuff you with empty calories. Not the junk you’ve been living off of for so long.

So, whenever you lose your way, remember WHY you are blocking this person from your life or trying to move on: Because you BELIEVE you deserve better. Because you BELIEVE you are worth more. This belief is your beacon. Let it guide you. It’s that easy.