Better to have loved and lost

Tolerating the emotions we are uncomfortable with can be incredibly difficult. Like a gruelling workout, we might be tempted to avoid facing those situations that require exertion and nerve to get through. Yet, much like with physical health, mental strength can really benefit from a certain amount of endurance. It doesn’t mean willingly subjecting ourselves to unhappy or dangerous situations but, rather, embracing the emotions that come with inevitable typical life situations. For example, the line from the Tennyson poem, ‘Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all,’ might feel like little consolation to those in the throes of heartbreak, but its sentiment is true. We learn that the pain can be a worthwhile price to pay for the pleasure, and that we are capable of falling in love. To borrow from the workout analogy, we work through the pain knowing we’ll emerge fitter and stronger to navigate life’s often amazing unpredictability.