1. You See How Loved You Really Are

It may not seem like one of the main benefits of a broken heart, but losing love helps open your eyes to how many others love you. Often times, we get so caught up in a relationship that we forget that love isn't just for your partner. After a break up, friends and family make their way to your side. Not only do you feel more loved than ever, but stronger bonds are created with those people.

2. You Learn How to Be Alone

After a long term relationship, you'll feel alone, but that's not a bad thing. At first, it'll feel horrible, but soon, you'll learn how to be alone without being lonely. Since you won't always have someone right by your side, it's beneficial to learn how to do things on your own again. It builds confidence and makes you feel more independent. Strangely enough, the experience will help make future relationships better.

3. You Realize the Truth

I remember dealing with a broken heart and thinking I'd lost "the one." What I didn't see during the relationship was all the ways I was being mistreated. It wasn't until after that I realized the truth. I actually felt better and happier once the initial heartache subsided. Sometimes you need someone to break your heart before you realize they really weren't right for you.

4. You Learn to Love

With every heart break, you learn a little more about the mystery known as love. Even though the love might not have lasted, you learned more about your own feelings. The next time you start to fall in love, you'll be more open to the feeling and better understand how to express yourself. The pain actually leads to a more caring heart when you meet the right person. It's a hard lesson, but necessary to help us love as much as possible.

5. You Find out New Things about Yourself

After you stop crying and feeling depressed, you get up one day and the heartache isn't quite as bad. I've found that after every major breakup, I uncover something new about myself. Some of my greatest accomplishments have come after heartaches. We're forced to look at ourselves more deeply than ever and what we find is amazing. These new discoveries help create a stronger, more successful you.

6. You Discover What You Don't Want

Sometimes it's hard to know what you want until you experience what you don't want. Maybe he seemed like the perfect guy, but after the breakup, you look back and realize why it didn't work. Suddenly, you discover that many of the things you thought you wanted in a partner aren't what you really need. Every heartache helps you learn more about who your perfect partner is.

7. You Become Stronger

This is probably the most cliché on the list, but it is true. You'll feel weak at first, but over time, you become stronger. The loss forces you to face new challenges and hold your head up high, even when you don't really feel like it. Pushing through this hard time will make you feel stronger than ever before. As a result, other challenging times might not be as difficult later on.

8. You're Free for Someone else

Obviously, something wasn't right in the relationship. Though it might be hard to see it right now, the broken heart actually helps free you up for the right person. If you're stuck with someone that's not a good match for you, even if you love them, you could miss out on your soul mate. Remember, even though your heart aches now, the right person will come along to heal your wounds.

9. You Have New Experiences

Every time someone comes in or out of our lives, we're introduced to an entirely new set of experiences. Whether it's meeting new people, trying new hobbies or moving to a new area, a broken heart forces you to start new and try new things. This leads to great experiences and memories. Believe it or not, you'll feel glad your heart was broken. Otherwise, you'd never have experienced certain things.

No one wants to have their heart broken. I know I hate it, but I've become stronger and learned so much as a result. Heart break doesn't last forever, but the benefits do. What other benefits have you discovered after a broken heart?