Paulo Coelho once wrote, “If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” Those words came to me that night as I sat in the quiet of my flat, arms wrapped around myself against the chill inside. It felt like falling into a black hole—loneliness, hurt, and emptiness swallowing me whole. All I could feel was silence, inside and out. Deafening, corrosive.
I kept asking myself: Why was I clinging so desperately to a love that made me miserable? Why did I hope he’d change? Why did I believe the sun would rise again one day, and everything would go back to how it was—easy, bright, warm? The answer was simple: fear. Fear of letting go. Fear I’d never meet anyone who even remotely compared to him. I’d convinced myself what we had was deep, rare, meant to be.
But the truth was, it wasn’t love. It was addiction. Poisonous, suffocating. It ate away at me. I was losing myself—my strength, my identity. I knew if I didn’t walk away now, I’d become a shadow. The only way out was escape.
Yes, I knew it would hurt. I’d poured everything into this—my time, my soul, my faith. I’d fought. I’d held on. I’d endured. I told myself, “You don’t give up. You fight till the end.” And that’s exactly what stopped me from leaving. Pride. Delusion. Stubbornness.
Then one morning, I woke up and realised: I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t wake up in a home where the silence was louder than shouting. I couldn’t sit across from someone who looked straight through me. I didn’t want to be with a person who’d stopped hearing me, feeling me, respecting me.
I left. Chose to live without him. Chose to breathe again—no more excuses, no more humiliation, no more aching emptiness. And somehow, it got easier. Not straight away. But easier. The silence didn’t grate anymore; it soothed. I started listening to myself. And it turned out, the woman I’d lost years ago was still in there—strong, brave, real.
If you feel nothing’s holding you to someone anymore, don’t stay. Don’t fear being alone—fear losing yourself. Staying where you’re unloved hurts far more than leaving. Don’t torture yourself. No one is worth breaking yourself over their indifference.
Find the strength that’s been inside you all along. I know how hard it is. I know how scary. But you can do it. Your soul’s been sending you signals. You’ve heard them—you just didn’t want to admit it. Trust yourself.
Set new goals. Let yourself dream. Do what makes you feel alive. What fills you up. What inspires you. Stop clinging to the past. Ahead is a new life. Clean. Free. Yours.
And when you finally let go of what’s dragging you down, you’ll feel it: yes, this was the right choice. Because nothing compares to the peace that comes after the storm.
Don’t be afraid. Don’t look back. The best is yet to come. Your happiness is waiting. Step toward it.
