I see a lot of myself in the posts here. My ex always encouraged me to do the things I wanted and supported me in trying to better myself, however, I was also stubborn and didn't look out to myself as I should have. while we were together. Now that I'm on my own, I'm trying to better myself- as is he. Now I'm trying to do things for me- not for anyone else, but because I genuinely want to. That's new for me and still a little hard at times! It took me a long time to come to this realization, but it's been worth it. Taking a step back (and a deep breath) has been necessary and has given me a new perspective. When we first broke up I was really sad and concerned over him, now I realize that I have to look out to me and that's okay! He's doing just fine and so am I. We're both taking what we've learned and trying to use it positively (as hard as that can be sometimes!).