But........ He's everything you talk about. He's the one person you blame for all your insecurities. You hate him, but you love him. He's your ex-boyfriend. Okay. So, you've convinced yourself that you're over this relationship and are ready to start dating again, but you talk about him on every first date. Your best friends can recite every bad thing he did to you. He is still in your life. But.... You are so over him. It's a vicous cycle, but no matter what you do, you can't get past the fact that he stripped you of your pride or that you wasted twelve precious months of your life on him. Where is he now? You have no idea. Why is it that so many of us hold on to our ex and find it hard to move into our next relationship, because of the grip he still has on you? Maybe he was rich. Maybe he was really good looking. That doesn't matter! You are you, and that is a wonderful thing. For the longest time, I found myself doing this very thing. I had broken up with my ex, but day in and day out, I blamed him for everything that was wrong in my life. "If I hadn't married him, I would be happy today. I can't believe he stole my stuff. Do you remember the morning when he..? My mother's voice cuts through my ranting. "You're never going to get over this if you keep talking about him and blaming him for all your problems." She was right. Not only was I wasting my own time blaming my ex for all my problems, but I was keeping myself from moving forward by not realizing that the past is the past, and my ex has no place in my future. I wonder. How long must we blame our ex for everything that is wrong in our lives? How long must we wait to return to life without him entering our thoughts?