Living better is often based on clichéd advice and personally, I think it's time to put a stop to it, because frankly, there's some advice, especially when it comes to relationships, that needs to be taken with a grain, heck, make that a whole block, of salt. Such as:
There Are Plenty More Fish in the Sea:
Remember when your pet goldfish died and your parents promised to buy you another one just the same? Goldie II wasn't the same, was he? Like goldfish, when a relationship goes belly up, you can't just go out and buy a new one. And while there may be plenty of fish in the sea, catching one isn't always easy. Which doesn't mean you should stop casting your net. But know that while there are plenty of fish, you'll probably want to throw most of them back before you find one worth keeping.
Time Heals a Broken Heart:
You probably wouldn't be too happy if you showed up in your doctor's office with a busted leg or a brain tumour and she told you to go home and simply wait for it to heal. Sometimes you need to do a little open-heart surgery. Take a trip, get some therapy, throw darts at a picture of your ex -- whatever it takes to stitch up the wound before you can let time do its stuff.
Just Move On:
Relationships aren't like the bacon bits section of the salad bar. You don't just move on. It's a process. That doesn't mean you sit and stew in your apartment (at least not for too long). But instead of simply bucking up and moving on to the next warm body so you can make all the same mistakes all over again, use this time to mourn and properly say goodbye to that crappy relationship. Reflect upon what you do and don't want to do next time. That way you minimize dragging all that disappointment, anger and resentment (because, of course, the relationship death was his fault, right?) into your next relationship.
Love Conquers All:
Yeah, and I've figured out a way to lose weight by eating only chocolate! I know that it is extremely romantic and life affirming to think that your love alone will get you through anything. But when it's 4 a.m., the kid's crying, you haven't slept in three days, the house is a mess, and your annoying, unemployed brother-in-law is mooching, I mean, living with you temporarily, love may feel a little overwhelmed by the task of conquering all. I know that "communication conquers all" isn't quite as romantic sounding, but it's a good place to start. Combine communication with regular tolerance, kindness, understanding and some good old-fashioned grinning-and-bearing-it, and you at least stand a chance at putting a dent in (if not completely conquering) most of what comes at you.