20 Times Beyoncé Helped You Get Through a Breakup

Actress and producer Beyonce Knowles arrives with her mother Tina Knowles (R) for the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Cadillac Records’ on November 24, 2008 in Hollywood, California. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)

2. “Ring Off”

"Oh, now the fun begins Dust yourself off and you love again"

“Ring Off” was written for Beyoncé’s mother, but it remains universally relatable on a surface level, too. When you’ve endured even one bad relationship, it takes courage to put yourself back out there and trust in all those things you might not believe in anymore. You can’t carry the baggage forever, but you can’t relieve yourself of it entirely, either. It took one person to break your trust, so it’s going to take someone else to put it back together. You can’t convince yourself that there are good ones out there if none of them step up.

Still, you have to take the first step. Open yourself up to the possibilities. It’s a rush of excitement and nerves and some trepidation, but the real thrill is your own inner strength that’s allowed you to start over. Maybe your past heartache was such that you never thought you’d get another shot. So when you find yourself taking the plunge, you can see how far you’ve come on your own.

As I mentioned in #13, it’s taken me a long time to bounce back from my abusive relationship. I can’t say I’ve really bounced back entirely. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my relationships since then, so much so that it feels like self-sabotage. It’s only recently that I’ve thought I could try again, and successfully. Not only do I feel like I could love someone without it blowing up in my face, but I finally feel like I’m worthy of someone’s love. That’s what I get from “Ring Off”—that when you’re ready for another shot at love, then someone else is ready for you, too.

Next: Grown Woman