In case you missed it, Ariana Grande released her latest single, “thank u, next,” on November 3rd, less than a month after her split from fiancé Pete Davidson. Honestly, I don’t think anyone was surprised at how quickly Ariana and Pete broke up, given how quickly they got engaged. However, what was more surprising was how well she addressed the breakup in her new song. “thank u, next” begins with a verse in which Ariana mentions a few of her exes, including Pete, by name. In a display of maturity that is quite uncommon in the breakup song genre, she doesn’t say a negative word about any of them. She then goes on to say what she learned from those exes. After a few repetitions of the song title, Ariana sings “Thank you, next. I’m so fuckin’ grateful for my ex.” In the next verse and the pre-chorus, she reflects on her relationship with herself, and what she’s learned from it. The rest of the song follows a similar theme, and includes the notable lines “I’ve got so much love / Got so much patience / I’ve learned from the pain / I turned out amazing.”
Listening to the words, it’s clear that Ariana has suffered through some tough breakups, but instead of wallowing in self-pity or publicly throwing shade at her exes, she chose to express her appreciation for what she learned from them, do her best to move forward, and become a better person for it all. Whether you like the song or not, the maturity and positivity demonstrated in the song should serve as an inspiration to everyone. The idea applies not only to breakups, but any personal failure or other tough situation you go through. Maintaining a “thank u, next” attitude can help you to move on and become a better, stronger person, in the same way Ariana sings about. Here’s how to do it:
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Start by asking yourself what you learned from the situation. Maybe you failed a midterm, but maybe that helped you to realize what study method doesn’t work for you and that you need to try something different next time. The lessons you learn from your failures aren’t always immediately obvious, but they’re always there. Once you realize what the situation taught you, appreciate it. Think about all the ways that those lessons are going to help you in the future. Focus on all the positives you can possibly find in the situation, and thank yourself or whatever higher power you believe in for what you learned.
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Once you’ve reflected on and appreciated the lessons you learned, it’s time to move on. Don’t dwell on past experiences that you can’t change. Instead, take your lessons and look towards the future, towards the next opportunity. Maybe you messed up horribly in a co-op interview, and someone else got the job you wanted. Once that happens, you can’t change it, so there’s no point in obsessing over it and looking back with regret. Instead, apply for a few more jobs and start prepping for your next interview. Move on to the next thing.
I turned out amazing
Finally, reflect on how your experience has helped you to grow as a person: You learned a lesson or two, and moved on to something even better. As a result, you’re stronger than you were before the failure. No matter how hard you try in life, you’re going to experience failure every now and then. Just remember to appreciate the lessons you learn and look to the future, and you can still turn out amazing too.