Love is powerful. It’s a mysterious thing that defines our location, eating habits, image, confidence, and can inversely limit us in surreptitious ways. The past couple of months I have been heartbroken by someone whom I thought the world of. After mandatory moping, I’ve been trying to logically find my way out. Fortunately and unfortunately a few friends in similar situations are asking themselves the same question I am: How do I do this? It’s a loaded question that really only has one answer…

Live.

You can find 1000 lists that say you need time, burn their pictures, date other people, delete that playlist, block them on Facebook, stay busy, see a therapist, etc etc. Yes, you should acknowledge that everything sucks in one way or another and that our brains don’t have an “over it” switch.

Living doesn’t mean go out every night and get wasted only to lie in bed and hate yourself once everyone’s gone. It means go out and get wasted, but do it for the story — not for the spiteful pictures you can post later. It means travel, volunteer, smile, give, see shows, learn, play, exercise, and get out. Be the best you that you can be. That’s what’s attractive. You’re going to fall anyways… might as well jump.

This method isn’t the easiest, but it’s what I’m currently trying. Thus far, it’s much better than where I was a month ago. Peaks and valleys are inevitable, but that’s just life. Your happy ending is out there. You won’t find it staying inside. Be happy, get awesome — live.