How To Break Up Gracefully
Knowing
how to break up with someone is never easy and very rarely graceful.
Read what Margaret Paul has to say on the subject...it will enlighten
you!
Ending
Relationships Gracefully
By Margaret Paul, Ph.D.
In my counseling practice, I often hear the question, "How
do I end a relationship without hurting someone's feelings?"
Whether it's a romantic relationship or a friendship, ending it
gracefully is generally a challenge.
The
problem arises because so many people see it as a reflection of
their worth when someone doesn't want to be with them. "If
I was good enough, this person would want to be with me, so there
must be something wrong with me."
There
is another way to see this. The way I see it is that for each of
us there is a relatively small number of people with whom we feel
a deep connection. Whether you want to explain this as due to being
part of the same soul group in
the spiritual realm, or to having similar energies, or to chemistry,
the fact is that we don't feel connected to most people. Just because
I don't feel connected with someone doesn't mean there is anything
wrong with them. Just because
you don't feel drawn to spend time with someone doesn't mean there
is anything wrong with that person, and just because someone doesn't
connect with you doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you.
It's just the way things are, and
it has nothing to do with there being anything wrong with anyone.
So
if I say to someone, "I don't feel a strong connection between
us," I am simply stating a fact. I am not making a judgment
about the person's adequacy or worth. All
of us meet perfectly wonderful people with whom we just don't feel
a connection. The person might be very attractive, have similar
interests to us, and even be on a similar growth path or spiritual
path. Yet we just don't connect. The spark that ignites friendship
or romance just doesn't exist. If we could all accept that someone
not wanting to be with us has nothing to do with our worth, we would
not get hurt when someone says no to a relationship.
I don't
pretend to understand all the factors that create connection between
two people. All I know is that all of us have the experience of
connection with another that occurs deeply and rapidly, as well
as the experience of a lack of
connection. Many people have had the experience of being fixed up
with someone because a friend said, "I just know you two will
like each other. You are so similar," only to discover a complete
lack of connection. Katie, a client of mine, recently said to me,
"Everyone said Rick is perfect for me. We look good together,
we have similar interests and backgrounds, we are the same religion,
we are equal educationally, and he is a really sweet guy. I kept
thinking that if I just gave it time, I would feel the connection.
But it never happened. I felt so badly breaking up with him because
there is nothing wrong with him, but the connection just isn't there."
Is
it anyone's fault that the chemistry or connection isn't there?
Of course not! There is nothing wrong with either Katie or Rick.
The connection just isn't there for Katie. She couldn't make it
be there. She ended up saying to Rick, "You are a really terrific
guy. I wish I felt the connection with you that I want to have with
a partner, but I don't. It's not your fault it's just not
there."
Whether
or not Rick felt hurt by this is really up to him. Katie can't take
responsibility for how he feels. If Rick has the belief system that
not everyone will feel connected with everyone, he will not feel
hurt. If he has the belief system that if a woman doesn't connect
with him, there is something wrong with him, he will feel hurt.
His hurt will come from his belief system, not from the fact that
Katie broke up with him.
Ending
a relationship gracefully means speaking our truth without blame
or judgment and not taking responsibility for another's feelings.
Randi, another one of my clients, recently told me that she was
able to tell the truth rather than give herself up to avoid hurting
someone. A friend had introduced her to Barb, thinking that Randi
and Barb had a lot in common and could be good friends. Randi got
together with Barb and felt no connection. In fact, she felt the
opposite. While Randi felt that Barb was a sweet person, she also
felt Barb's energy pulling on her in various ways. While some people
might not mind needy energy, or even find it endearing, Randi didn't
like it at all. She was pleased with herself because she was able
to tell Barb that she just didn't feel a connection with her. Randi
was able to let go of taking responsibility for Barb's feelings
if Barb felt hurt by this.
Is
there always a way of breaking up or saying no to a relationship
without someone getting hurt? No. But by gently speaking your truth,
you can gracefully end a relationship, and if you accept that another's
feelings come from his or her belief system, then you won't feel
guilty if the other person feels hurt.
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From How To Break Up to Relationship Quotes
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Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and
co-author of eight books, including "Do
I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" She is the co-creator
of a powerful
healing process called Inner Bonding. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit
her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com
or mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com
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