Contrast

When you have an experience of any kind, don't forget about the contrast of it.
Is light without the darkness surrounding it still light?
Is love without the fear of losing it still love? If you've never had it, you don't know it's missing.
The hardness of a tree trunk is given by the softness of the hand that is touching it.
The guilt one feels is given by the empathy that rises from hurting another.
Egoism is hidden in altruism when expecting appreciation.
Loneliness is what follows a deep connection.
The awareness of "bad" feelings is proportional felt with the unawareness of good times.

Breaking habits

Routine: a set of customary or unchanging and often mechanically performed activities or procedures. Think about that for a minute. Think about it now, because you sure don't do it while you compulsively do the same thing over and over again every day, just because you're used to do it. Because it's part of your life, part of who you are, right? 

Wrong. We often get confused about who we really are. Do you let your routines define you as a person? If you do, what do you think will happen once you have to break one of these habits? Are you less of who you think you are? And if most of your routines are shared with one person, things can get even worse.

We get attached to our routines. We attach to them so badly we often confuse them for being more than they are. We identify with our habits to the extent that it hurts when we have to brake them. And there's no exception when it comes to shared routines. 

One thing that most people don't notice when it comes to relationships is the bond we create through routine. Whether it's healthy or unhealthy, whether it feels really good or really bad, it's something we might have identified with. And breaking this chain can feel like you've been torn apart into pieces and you have to pick them up and rebuild yourself.

You're not broken. It might hurt, but it can heal. You are so much more than your disintegrating shell. And if your shell is breaking, it might be so you can focus on what's hidden within. 

Think of this situation like having a blank canvas you can put something new on. Point 0. A place where you can grow. This time you can do it by yourself, so it would most likely be your choice if you decide to break a habit or not. Once you gain the understanding of routine attachment and add a little mindfulness to it, it should get easier.

Trees anxieties

Are the trees afraid of winter? Are they afraid of growing an odd branch, or even losing a few? Are they afraid of being judged by their fellow trees? Are they worried about the squirrels, birds and bugs living within them? Are their leaves green enough? Do they provide enough shade for the tired travellers resting underneath them? Do they provide enough oxygen?
Are they getting enough water, light, warmth? Is their soil proper to sustain them? Are their roots strong and deep clenched? Will their seeds grow into strong trees?
Do they worry about the winds being strong enough to bend them? Do they worry about being cut? Do they worry of disease?
Sometimes.

Bubble wrap

When you live in a bubble of happiness you tend to forget that the bubble, as long as it's outside you, around you, it remains what it is- a wrap. Of course, the sight can be amazing, rainbows and sunshine everywhere. You care about nothing outside of it, because why would you? Your life already feels perfect.
Harsh reality-check: Not only it's just a wrap, but once it pops, the air inside it will escape. And you might choose to stay in there, with no air, just the view you once knew so well, and you won't know why you're suffocating. And you struggle to breathe less, maybe it will last more, maybe you'll still have some air left inside it for tomorrow. You might even try to rip yourself apart and use the pieces to patch it, make it last more.
Eventually you give up and try to crawl out what's left of you. And it's cold and dark outside your bubble wrap, and there's no one left. Being able to breathe does not take away the pain of the missing pieces...