Could you tell me a time you had to rebuild the relationship with yourself?

Around four years ago, my ‘perfect life train’ was derailed, well at least what I thought was my perfect life. My long term relationship had ended, the life that I thought I always wanted was ripped out from underneath me in a matter of a few words. Reflecting on the time in my life, I think I was mostly sad about my ‘plan’ being ruined instead of the relationship ending. The house, the engagement, the wedding, the kids (thank god that didn’t happen). The months following this were really tough and lonely. Lost is the only word I can use to describe this time. I felt like I had lost part of my identity. I had to rebuild friendships that had been forgotten and ‘find’ myself in what left like a massive mess. Fast forward a few years and my friendship group unexpectedly shifted in quite a drastic way, I was in this lonely space all over again. While a friendship shift may not seem like much, it honestly affected me as much as my breakup a few years prior. Through these experiences I realised that I was placing so much of my self worth on those around me and felt like I had lost myself. Where was the most important relationship, the one with myself? I realised I can’t keep following this pattern and feeling this deep sense of being lost and lack of self worth when my relationship shifted, changed or ended. Change is a part of life and I decided I could not live it life this anymore. 

From this point on I learnt that I had to build the relationship I had with myself and stop placing my self worth on others. The journey of finding myself sounded easy, but it is one of the most difficult experiences of my life. Now, in my mid 20s, I’m the happiest I have ever been in my life. I'm still on the journey of discovering who I am and what I have to offer the world. I was so lost to begin with that it has been a long and difficult journey. But it is the most important experience of my life so far. Now, I truly feel like I have found my place in the world and found my people. I no longer feel such a deep sense of feeling lost when life shifts and changes. I have worked hard to find myself again, and am still working hard to continue on this journey. It’s been filled with highs, lows, crazy emotions, moving solo to a country I had never been to. But, I wouldn’t change anything and can confidently say that I am now thankful for the 'shifts' in my life that have happened and guided me to where I am today. Every moment of this journey means I am one step closer to strengthening the relationship with myself (or as those close to me could say, discovering the labrador dog that I am).