Mental health is now talked about more than ever, which is awesome. I mean, I don't have to tell you that it's a primary focus of on Purpose, but on a day to day basis, many people don't know where to turn or which tools can help. Over the past couple of years, I've been working with Calm to make mental wellness accessible and enjoyable, or as I like to say, fun and easy. Calm has all sorts of content to help you reduce anxiety and stress, build mindful habits, improve sleep,
and generally feel better in your daily life. So many bite size options from the most knowledgeable experts in the world, along with renowned meditation teachers. You can also check out my seven minute daily series to help you live more mindfully each and every day. Right now, listeners of On Purpose get forty percent off a subscription to Calmpremium at Calm dot com Forward slash j that's Calm dot com forward slash jay for forty percent off. Calm your Mind,
Change your life. And that's the interest. And think about this idea that they weren't for you, and by the way, you weren't for them either. We often think I'm the perfect person for them. They're never going to find someone like me. Sure, they're never going to find someone like you, but you weren't the person for them either. The Number one Health and Wellness podcast said Jay Sheddy. Hey, everyone, welcome back to you on Purpose. Thank you so much
for joining me. Whether you're on a walk, whether you're cooking, whether you're with a friend, whether you're driving, wherever you are, thank you for tuning in, Thanks for being here. And I'm guessing you tuned in because someone in your life sent this episode to you, or you saw the title and thought to yourself, I've been there. I'm there right now. I know how that feels. I'm here to remind you that they weren't the one for you, and that's okay.
I speak to so many people every week who tell me that they thought they were so close to having found true love, having found the one to having met their partner, and for some reason it didn't work out. Some of these people had been together for years and they were waiting for this person to propose, and when they shared their ultimatum, the person walked away. Some of these people thought everything was on track until one day their partner turned around and said, I don't think this
is working anymore. And for some people, they were engaged to be married and their person turned around and said, I'm not in love with you anymore. Now. All of these things are hard because you built up the belief that someone was meant for you. And what a lot of us don't realize is that we start believing someone is the one for us even before they agree or commit to it. How many of you have seen yourself
future tripping. You meet someone and you're already thinking about your wedding day, You're thinking about having kids together, you're thinking about moving in, You're thinking at least three steps ahead. How many of you are feeling the pressure that the next person you meet has to be the one, must be the one, because you feel you're getting old time's ticking. We put all these artificial pressures on ourselves only to
make ourselves believe that someone is our person. And when that person takes away that thought, that belief, that idea, we're often left broken and broken hearted. And I'm here to remind you that they weren't the one for you, and that's okay. They didn't want to love you, and that's okay. They didn't want to show up for you,
and that's okay. They didn't want to be there for you, and that's okay because they weren't the one for you, and you're okay, and you'll be okay because you're still here for yourself, because a no from someone else doesn't have to feel like a rejection of your true self, because someone walking away from you doesn't mean you have
to abandon yourself as well. And I think this is one of the biggest challenges I see, is that when someone walks away from us, when someone chooses a different route, we start to follow them on their path, wondering why they left us, not realizing that we're leaving ourselves behind as well. Don't leave yourself behind following someone else who
wasn't meant for you. I want to guide you through how to deal with that heartbreak, to how to reconcile this idea that someone wasn't for you when you felt that they must have been the person for you. The first thing I want to talk about is a beautiful quote from Maya Angelou. She said, when people show you who they are, believe them. Let me say that again. Maya Angelou said, when people show you who they are, believe them. How many of you made excuses for this person.
How many of you constantly created justifications for their actions, behaviors, mindsets, attitude, communication style. I mean, I could go on and on and on. How many of you would jump on the phone to your friend and your friend would say something like, yeah, they were a bit off that night, and you'd be like, oh, no, but they've got lots of stuff going on at work. Maybe even your parents said something like I'm not sure about this, and you're like, no, no, mom, you just
don't understand right. Maybe you had a brother or a sister who just said, look, I can just sense that, and you stopped them. He said, no, I'll stop you right there. This is my person. A lot of us, due to ourselves, a lot of us deceived ourselves. And yes, that person may have feel like we should do that, but they didn't deceive us. We lie to ourselves about them, right,
Let's really reconcile that for a second. So many of us lie about someone else in life for someone else, in order to protect them, because we're protecting why we like them. Let's just talk about that for a second. We try and protect someone's reputation because subconsciously we're trying to protect our own We're trying to protect the reason we're like them. We're trying to protect the reason we're with them, We're trying to protect the reason we feel
that way. And often what I find is that we've tried to protect a perfect image of someone else, when in reality what we experience from them is completely different. But the thing is, when you repeat that pattern, when you keep protecting this perfect image of them, you start to believe that's who they are. And so when they walk away or it doesn't work out or it doesn't pan out that way, you left thinking, wait a minute, but they were so great, they loved me, they're amazing.
But really, you were the one justifying. You were the one creating excuses, You were the one making it feel like it was going in the right direction. So how do we deal with this? Because that story and that narrative in our mind is intoxicating. Right, it feels great to tell ourselves that story, we found the one. It's working out. We love them, they love us. How do we not do the opposite? A lot of us experience
the opposite where we get really cynical. Right, no matter what someone does, we go, oh, they're not my person. Oh no, no, they're not right for me. Oh no, no, we self sabotage. Right, So there's two sides to this coin. One side is they're the perfect person. I'm going to protect that image. The other side is they're not my person, no matter how great it is. And both of the lead to pushing people away or people walking away. And the balance view is, well, no, let me get a
realistic view of what story they're telling me. They're showing me that sometimes they prioritize me and sometimes they prioritize work. Okay, am I good with that? They're showing me that actually they never prioritize me and they only prioritize work. Okay, let me make note of that. They're showing me that they value me when it's convenient. They're showing me that they love to show up for the physical intimacy and when things are great, but when things are bad, they
turn away. And what you did at that time was just amplify the good, focus on the positives. Now here's the challenge, right, We're scared of becoming cynical, But then the other end is we become celebratory about all the little tiny things they do well, and we don't find that balance. That balance comes by truly taking it for what it is and observing whether we like that, whether it works for us. Number two, they never showed up
when it mattered. They weren't the one for you. And that's okay because they never showed up when it mattered. Think about someone who whenever it was tough, whenever it's hard, they weren't the first person you called. They weren't the first band to be there. Actually, they found a way to duck out every time, and they had good reasons for it. Now, that's not the kind of person you want to build a life with. That's not the kind of person that you want to grow with. Because what
you practice before commitment is what you receive after commitment. Right, it doesn't really change people think the big wedding day, the marriage changes behavior. It doesn't always, it rarely does. It continues as is, and if anything, it may even dissolve. Now it's harder when you look back and you think, well, they always showed up when it mattered. Maybe they helped you through a really tough time in your life. Maybe they helped you through a really difficult time, and you're
thinking they must be my person. They helped me through that time. Well, maybe they were just with you to help you through that time. Maybe they were just there to guide you through that difficult time and that was their role in your life. And I know that made you believe that they must want to be around forever, that it must work out forever. But it's accepting that they actually helped you in your time of need and that was beautiful. It's not a negative thing, it's not
a horrendous thing. But they were there for you when it mattered, and you can accept that, you can receive that and you can appreciate that as it is now. This third one is really interesting. They weren't the one for you, and that's okay because they told you they'd healed, but you realize they hadn't a lot of the time. Maybe you got back with an X, maybe things took
youure away, maybe you got back together. Maybe this is someone that presented them in a certain way and they said, hey, I've healed, I've grown, I'm a different person now, and you thought, yes, this must be my person. They've been
through a transition, they've been through a transformation. Were made for each other it's going to work out, and they weren't the one for you because they hadn't healed, And so you built up a picture of the version of themselves that they said was healed, and you imagined the life with that version. You imagined the life with that character, and that's sadly what it was. It was a character from a movie, but in reality they weren't there, So
they weren't the one for you. That character was, that image was again, and so you start to notice how more often than not, the one that was for you was an image you built, or an image they built for you, and in reality they weren't the one for you. So what do you do with that information? You remind yourself that they weren't for you because it was a character they built, the version they told you they were.
You recognize that, you sit with that, as uncomfortable as it is to recognize that the person you wanted to be with didn't actually exist, and it frees you from that constant daughter analysis of they were the one I know they were. They could have been that. They said it, they knew it. And this all comes back down to a realization of how we spend so much time in
what if instead of what is number four? They weren't the one for you because they kept saying we can't do this, when actually what they meant is they couldn't a lot of people will say, look, I don't think this is good for us anymore. I don't think we're right for each other. I don't think we're willing to do what it takes. I don't think we have what
it takes to last. They're speaking on your behalf. If you've ever had a partner who's spoken on your behalf, or use the word we to summarize their feelings, use the word us to summarize their emotions, they weren't the one for you, because what they're saying is I'm scared of acknowledging I don't have the courage to actually express how I feel. So I'm going to make it about both of us. I don't have the guts to take accountability and responsibility for how I'm feeling, and therefore I'm
going to make it our feeling. And guess what, you'd read that, and you'd even think at one point, yeah, maybe I'm not cut out for this. You know what, Maybe they're right, and maybe you even reflected it on yourself and thought, maybe I'm the problem, maybe I'm the reason they feel this way, and we have to do that reflection. It can be us. There is a middle, there is a spot in between where we have to recognize that we have to take accountability, we have to
recognize where we've contributed to this. But I think the mistake becomes when they're getting to choose our emotions about the relationships rather than us getting to share what they are. The reason why this one's really interesting is because their language, when you reflect on it, will show you what frequency they work on. So if your frequency is, hey, we can solve this, Hey, we can do this. Hey, let's take responsibility. Hey, let's figure it out. That's a high
vibration frequency. If their frequency is we can't do this, it's never going to work out. That's a low frequency. Now, if your frequency is, hey, you need to change, you need to figure it out, that's also a low level frequency. So in the Buggert Geeta, it talks about the four types of frequency. The fourth and lowest type of frequency is and insecurity, it's where we're either scared of commitment or we like to make the other person feel scared
or we exercise manipulation and control. Better than that is the frequency of passion, where we may want something for someone else. We may demand things again not good for the long term, but better than the first one. Above that is the frequency of duty, responsibility, accountability. And above that is the frequency of love and joy and connection. And often what I find in this is that we want to jump from the passionate love to the love love. We want to jump from. Here's who I want you
to be too? Can we just be madly in love? And the most important step is the mode of goodness, the frequency of goodness, which is about responsibility and accountability. I find that actually those two are probably the most under talked about values in a healthy relationship. Can each of us be accountable for our own emotions, our own actions and feelings, and can we take responsibility for how they affect the other person? Can we take responsibility for
re energizing, rejuvenating this relationship. Accountability and responsibility are things that they didn't have, or you didn't have for them. And that's the interesting thing about this idea that they weren't for you, and by the way, you weren't for them either. We often think I'm the perfect person for them. They're never going to find someone like me. Sure, they're never going to find someone like you, But you weren't the person for them either. Step number five. You were
chasing them the whole time. You'd made up this store in your head that they were better than you, that they were the catch, that they were the one that all your friends and family would approve of, and throughout the time you were with them, and even before you got them, you were chasing them. And even when you were with them, you were chasing them. And often we chase someone before were with them. We chase someone when we're with them, and then eventually we chase them away.
We're running behind someone for so long that they don't know what else to do but run away. We're running after someone for so long that they continue to run away. And the reason I'm raising that is because if you feel like you're constantly chasing someone, they're not for you. And so often we feel like, yes, I got them, Yes,
like I'm just making it perfect. Yeah they get it now, like, oh I feel a bit safer now, and it's like no, your person will be peaceful, your person, you'll feel safe, and they'll feel safe, You won't feel like you're constantly chasing them only to chase them away. And I feel so many of us do that. We constantly feel, Oh, they're out in my league, or they're better than me, or better do everything to hold on to them. If
you're feeling that way, they for you. They're not for you, And that's okay because you've realized, well, I shouldn't be feeling anxious and nervous and on edge and in a lower frequency of fear and insecurity if they're my person. Do I feel peaceful around them? Do I feel stable around them? Do I feel supported around them? Do I
like how I feel when I'm around them? If they're making us insecure, fearful, anxious, or if that's who we are and we're not healing that, because often I find that people take their anxious skew into a relationship and reflect it even on someone stable. But hey, if I was triggered that way and I wasn't working on it, they weren't for me either. Because I've got to heal. We have to reflect on where we need to heal.
As much as we keep saying they're not for us, we're not for them either, number six, They made you feel that they were aloof. If people always seemed detached, aloof, not committed, not connected, they weren't for you. And that's okay, because if someone's already detached, that detachment's only going to get stronger. There's a couple more things I want to share with you. You were more scared of being alone than you were excited about being with them. Be honest
with me for a second. How many of you were in a relationship because you were just scared of being on your own. You were scared of being lonely. You were scared of being single. And if that was the case and they left, they weren't for you, because if they were for you, you'd be more excited about being with them. Then you are scared of being alone. Now we're all scared of being alone. We're all scared of
being lonely. It's somewhat natural, and of course, in my book Eight Rules of Love, I talk about how you can build that into solitude. But we all want to be with someone, we want to be connected. That's okay. But what's not okay is that we're with them out of that fear and insecurity. We're with them because of that anxiety. We're with someone because of that overwhelming feeling we have of we'd be inadequate and lost without them.
So it's not an excitement, it's not a positive it's a negative motivator, right, It's a negative drive that's keeping us connected to this person, and that's not for us. We don't want to be with someone because we don't want to be alone. We want to be with them because we love being with them. We enjoy their company, we engage with them, they listen to us, they make us feel seen, heard and understood. It's a really really important thing to think about. And often we keep saying, Oh,
I wish they were for me. They were for me, we were so good together, But the truth is we weren't because you were just with them because you don't want to be alone. And that's a great thing to reflect on and talk to yourself about. The eighth and final step that I want and discuss with you is and a lot of people struggle with this one, is
that they want their partner to open up. They want their partner to engage in conversation, but the person could never open up or prioritize meaningful conversations they couldn't prioritize the conversations that you knew were integral to the healthy
heart of the relationship, and they weren't for you. I think sometimes we don't know our priorities and preferences, and when someone ticks our preferences, we make ourselves believe that they have our priorities, and we get our priorities mixed up. And I would focus the other way around. Where can we focus on our priorities more? What are the things that are important to you? And these are important things to reflect on when something ends, because when something ends,
we always get focused on the beginning. When something ends, we start focusing on how things were at the start. We often even you know, maybe to protect ourselves, we hide all the things that were bad for us and the hope that things will work out once again. And I think it's so important in that moment to just say, you know what, I recognize that they weren't for me because we weren't actually getting any of this right. And the reason I'm feeling this way is because I don't
want to be alone. I don't want to be single, I don't want to be lost, and I don't want to be confused. But guess what. I've said this, and I've said this before to so many people. I'll say it again. It's better to be sad and single than it is to be sad and with someone because the pain of the baggage of the commitment, the pressure of someone else's mind, the potential of thinking about family future,
all of that kind of stuff's creates so much. I've had so many people say to me they had children because they were trying to save a relationship, and it only made it harder, and we make worse decisions that way. I hope this episode helps you be honest with yourself. I know that I've been direct, but I really want you to reflect on these things, and I want to thank you for listening so deeply, and please share this
with a friend who might need it. Past this along, there's going to be someone in your life who's heartbroken, and hopefully this real talk guides them to their true, authentic self and realize that they weren't the one for you. And that's okay, because there is someone for you. And that's not going to be someone who's fully prepped, fully packaged, fully delivered. It's going to be the person you want to build with and they want to build with you.
It's going to be the person that you're willing to put in the work with and they're willing to put in the work for you. Remember, I'm forever in your corner and I'm always rooting for you. Thanks for listening. Hey everyone, If you love that conversation, go and check out my episode with the world's leading therapist Lourie Gottlieb, where she answers the biggest questions that people ask in therapy when it comes to love, relationships, heartbreak, and dating.
If you're trying to figure out that space right now, you won't want to miss this conversation. If it's a romantic relationship, hold hands. It's really hard to argue. It actually calms your nervous systems. Just hold hands as you're having the conversation. It's so lovely.