5 Times You Thought Your Life Was Falling Apart (But It Was Actually Coming Together)

Growing up is inevitable — but that doesn't mean it's easy. We all go through situations that, as they're happening, make our life feel like it's coming to a screeching halt. We may, in turn, deal with bouts of anxiety or depression and feel like we'll never know what happiness is ever again.

But think back to the last time you felt that way. You survived, didn't you? It might have been tough to get through, but you did get through it.

You're going to hit some roadblocks throughout your pursuit of happiness, but don't let them stop you completely. Anything you go through will make you a stronger, better person in the long run. Here are just a few times you might feel like your life is over when in reality, they were only making way for better things to come along.

Here are five times you thought your life was falling apart (but it was actually coming together):

1. When that dumb boy broke your heart and you swore that your life was coming to a screeching halt

A couple of Netflix binges, tubs of ice cream, and mental breakdowns later, you’re still here living and breathing. You survived. The truth is, a breakup is sometimes actually a blessing in disguise. Sometimes they happen in order to remove whatever isn’t meant to be in your life and eventually let whatever is. That breakup you thought would kill you was really a blessing, a major lesson, and the start of a brand new chapter.

2. When you changed your mind about what you want to do with the rest of your life ten different times

That time your plans decided to do a complete 360. And your future started to look a whole lot different than you expected it to. Confused, unsure, uneasy — all emotions that EVERY twenty-something is familiar with. So, relax. Things change. Plans change. We change. It’s okay to switch gears. It’s okay to start fresh, regardless of how long it will take. You don’t want to spend the rest of your life doing something you absolutely despise just because you were afraid of starting over again.

3. When you lost a friend because life happened

No matter how devastating it may be, friendships don’t always last a lifetime like we think they do. Life happens. And sometimes it happens at the worst of times, in the worst of ways. Bad times bring out the bad in people. Maybe you lost a few friends along the way because life decided to happen unexpectedly.

Maybe you saw those people in an entirely different light which revealed their true colors. Instead of holding onto negative people to save a friendship, let go of toxic friendships. When someone shows you their true colors, don’t try to paint a different picture. Friendships will come and go for many different reasons, but the right people will stay eternally.

4. When you got rejected from that awesome job that you wanted so badly

OK, so rejection SUCKS. It forces you to feel like you aren’t good enough. The truth is, that job you wanted so badly simply wasn’t right for you. In fact, it was so wrong that the universe relentlessly and unforgivingly ripped it right out of the palm of your hands, and for all the right reasons.

It just means that something better and more exciting is on its way. You might not be able to see it now, but trust that the best opportunities will find you when you least expect them to.

5. While all of your friends were off getting married, having babies, and paying a mortgage, you’re still at home alone drinking boxed wine on Friday night

You might start to envy their life and start feeling unhappy about your own. The truth is, if it feels like everyone is moving ahead in life, that doesn’t mean you’re lagging behind them.