I know it might be hard to find any reasons to be grateful for your ex, but they are there. Trust me, you won't notice them until well after the breakup. No matter why the relationship ended, you will have benefited in some way. It actually helps ease the pain, at least a little. Finding reasons to be grateful for your ex isn't nearly as hard as you think.
One of the biggest reasons to be grateful for your ex is discovering what you don't like. Maybe you thought you wanted a guy who was super focused on his career, only to discover you wanted him home with you more. When you break up, you learn what you do and don't like in relationships. Without your ex, you would've never realized it. Next time, you'll have a better idea of what you're looking for.
Sometimes when we fall in love, we believe that love will conquer all. No matter what problems the relationship might have, love will make it all work out. An ex shows you that it takes more than love for things to work. If both of you don't love each other fully and aren't willing to work hard, the relationship will never work. Breaking up with an ex teaches you this valuable lesson.
With every ex I've had, I've always tried something new. From discovering my love of hiking to enjoying karaoke nights, each ex has given me the chance to try new things. While I might not be grateful for the person, I was grateful for the good experiences. You can always take some new skill or hobby away from any relationship. Turn it into something you do with the girls and suddenly, you've left your ex behind completely.
Was you ex a cheater or a liar? Did he just not seem fully committed to the relationship? Whatever the reason, you look back and realize all the signs of an impending breakup were right in front of you. This helps you learn what the signs are so if the next guy doesn't work out, you can end it quicker instead of wasting time on someone who doesn't truly value you. I've found the signs really don't change from person to person.
Every ex has changed you in some way. Maybe they made you less naive about love or convinced you to go for your dream job. I can look back and see every change an ex made in me. Those changes have made me a much stronger, more confident woman. While I could've done without some of the exes, I am happy they helped me change. If you can't see the change yourself, talk to your friends. They'll definitely notice.
I've noticed that each ex helps make you more mature. You learn what you don't like, you become a different person and you get tired of the games. If you look back, you'll likely notice that each serious relationship you've had has been a little more mature. An ex opens your eyes to childish behavior and makes want to be a more mature, responsible person. This is especially true if your ex was completely immature.
Despite all the people we interact with on a daily basis, we never learn to see people quite as clearly until we've had a few exes. You get extremely close as a couple. You learn to see beyond the initial mask people put on. As the relationship falls apart, you see the person even more clearly. As a result, you learn to see others on a deeper level. It also makes you more careful of whom to trust.
An ex isn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, it's over now and you can find the good in how the relationship changed your life. Of course, I'd never actually tell any ex I'm grateful for them. Have you ever been grateful for an ex?