When I first moved to LA ten years ago I got into an abusive relationship. The thing is, it wasn't a typical relationship and he wasn't physically abusive. He was manipulative and took full advantage of my weaknesses. I had moved in as a friend renting a room and eventually got into a relationship. He did everything he could to chip away at my self-esteem, alienate me from my friends and family, and make me feel trapped so that even if I did decide to leave, I would feel I had nowhere to go. I am lucky that I was able to keep somewhat of a cool head and once I realized what was happening to me I started breaking away. I had lived there for seven months and it is one of the darkest periods of my life and it took me a while to recover, emotionally, physically, financially.
Looking back on it, however, I find that there were many positive things that came out of the experience. I made some new friends, I made a change in my life that might not have come about had I not gotten into the situation in the first place, I came out stronger for the experience, and I know much better than to get into a similar situation again. The way I see it, it may not have been a bright spot in my life but it was a bridge from one good part to the next. And we can't always have everything go perfect or we wouldn't appreciate the good parts when they happen. And ever since then, when I get into a situation that really sucks, or I'm really down and depressed about things, I just remind myself that it's just a bridge taking me from one good thing to the next. And you can't always see the next good thing from the bridge but it's there. It always is.
So if you're going through a bad patch, even a horrible one, please keep in mind that this is just one small part of your life, a bridge taking you to the next good thing. And also remember that bridges can seem long, but when you look back on your life and look at all the good things, the bridges really don't seem so big. You will get through this and you're on your way to another good thing. And you have all of the wonderful people of this board and the good people in your life to help you get over this bridge, don't you ever forget that.
