It's amazing how much life can change in an instant, isn't it? That's especially true when you're faced with a break up. Relationships can consume us and just as they fulfill us when they're moving along smoothly, they can completely derail us when they come to a crashing halt. Losing the woman you love puts everything into perspective. Your life feels empty and without purpose. You wake each morning to the realization that she's not there and won't be there anymore. It's natural to have a million questions bouncing about in your head. You're wondering things like, "does she think about me, what could I have done to avoid this, and will she ever come back to me." Although you can't predict what the future will hold, there are ways to effectively deal with the end of the relationship so you can move forward feeling stronger emotionally.

Worrying over whether or not she will eventually come back to you is only going to prolong the suffering that you feel at this moment. You must face the reality of the relationship being over. You'll never fully capture what you two had before even if you do end up together again. What you had is gone for the moment and the sooner you can accept that, the better off you'll be. Right now it's as if you're stuck in the middle of an emotional time warp and you're frozen in that moment. You want back what you had but until you accept what you lost, that can't happen.

Leaving a break up unresolved isn't good for either you and or your ex girlfriend. Those negative feelings will permeate everything and any resentment that may be there will continue to grow. It's incredibly important that you wipe the slate clean, so to speak. You have to find a way for the two of you to leave the past where it belongs. The most effective way to do that is to apologize to her. If your break up was difficult and painful she may still be reeling from that even if she was the one who ultimately decided to end things. Call her up and briefly explain that you do have regrets regarding the way you handled yourself before and during the break up. Offering this type of olive branch can help towards healing and ultimately forgiveness.

Just as it took time for the two of you to build your relationship into what it was before the break up, it's going to take time to rebuild it now. Trying to convince her to be your girlfriend at this point isn't going to go over the way you hope it will. She needs some time and space and most importantly, she needs some reassurance that you're going to be a better, more understanding and compassionate partner the second time around. Although it may sound daunting to try and convince her that you have changed, it's not. You just need to allow your actions to do the talking for you. In other words, become a friend to your ex and show her how you can be supportive and helpful without pushing for anything more. She'll learn to trust in you again and before you know it all those romantic feelings you both had will find their place again and she'll be just as deeply in love with you as she once was.