THE SIMPLE HABIT THAT TOOK ME FROM HOPELESS TO SELF-AWARE (AND 80% OPEN RATES)

Back in 2020, I was heartbroken with nothing to show for it. There I was, pining over a relationship that had just ended—thinking I would never recover from the pain. What’s worse? The pandemic took away “the moving on process” from me. No going out with friends. No getting drunk till I blacked out. No late-night conversations with the people who mattered.

Locked away from the rest of the world, I stayed in my childhood bedroom, trying to figure out what the fuck to do with my broken heart. But between infinite tears and questioning my existence, I began writing.

I was hurt. I was sorry. And then I was just mad. I hated my ex for ruining my life. That’s when I discovered the biggest secret to moving on. People say to love yourself more and focus on self-care—but that’s impossible in the early stages of a breakup. Anyone who has just been dumped doesn’t give a shit about self-care.

They cry. They feel that sting daily. They wallow in self-pity. They turn desperate. They beg for another chance. But through that process, I learned the best way to get the ball rolling on turning your life around… and it’s ANGER.

"I was hurt, I was sorry, and then I was mad." Yes, thanks to that anger, it burst the pedestal I put everybody on. It allowed me to see her flaws. It showed me every detail I had disregarded when I was blinded by love. And it opened the floodgates of unresolved issues.

Finally, I realized how toxic the relationship had become and how unhealthy we were for each other. Everything I couldn’t let out verbally found its place on the page. Days turned into weeks, and my rants turned into essays. Weeks turned into months, and my essays turned into novels.

And what do you know? I started moving on. Writing every single day triggered my healing process. My projects gave me something to hold on to, something to look forward to. It was the best reason to stay up way past midnight.

I wrote about what I felt. I wrote about the happily-never-after. And then, my work started evolving. Fiction became a great goal-setting tool—I wrote about the worlds I wanted to be in and the kind of person I wanted to become.

Months turned into years, and that hobby led to a website I now run to showcase my life’s work. The simple writing habit that began in 2020 led to my social media presence, two newsletters, and my personal writing philosophy (Soulful Writing).

All because I got my heart broken at 26, when everyone around me was getting married and having kids. As cliché as it may seem, this is how I turned pain into art.

And you can do it too. If you’re reading this thinking, “I can’t. My world is crumbling beneath my feet. There’s no hope for me,” I thought the same.

Look where I am now—sending weekly newsletters with 80% open rates, sharing stories about my passions, pains, and dreams.

Writing has changed my life in so many ways. Now, it’s taking me on an entrepreneurial journey toward financial freedom. It’s my gateway to escaping the 9-5 teaching jobs that restrict me from reaching higher and going further.

Nobody else should have control over you and your life. Not your ex, not your parents, not your friends, and certainly not an employer who sees you as just another number rather than an actual human being.

Looking back, everything seems strange from this perspective. But there’s never been a better chance to help people get through their darkest moments than now. If you’re lost, scared, and confused: start writing.

Your future self will thank your brave soul for it.

Stay Soulful,

Jopaz