From my own personal experience, there is nothing more satisfying than a good marriage.  However, if your marriage isn’t satisfying, and you have already tried unsuccessfully to save your relationship with your spouse, divorce may provide you with freedom and the opportunity for a happier life.  It is far better to be divorced and have peace in your life than to be stuck in a miserable marriage.

I speak from personal experience.  I am on my third marriage.  When I was only 20, I married to escape an unpleasant home life, and I married someone who had her own issues.  After three years of an unhappy marriage, we divorced.  After a short time of dating, I met someone whom I thought would be a good partner in my life.  Unfortunately, we were two very different people.  I preferred the outdoors and nature; she preferred the nightlife.  We divorced after five years.  Shortly after my second divorce, I met a woman, whom I married two years later.  We have a son and have been happily married now for more than 26 years. 

Although I made the wrong decisions in getting married the first two times, I recognized my errors and made the difficult decisions to get out.  This is an important lesson.  If you made a mistake in marrying someone who is not right for you, get out, even if you have made the same mistake before.  With the benefit of hard learned lessons, I made a much better choice the third time around.  My wife and I are sharing a wonderful life together. 

Experts in marriage and divorce, such as Dr. Phil, have useful and practical advice on life after divorce.  No matter how miserable you may feel, it is important to remember that life goes on after divorce.  Some people feel the immediate rush of joy and freedom upon getting divorced, while others feel mostly sad and down.  I have seen these differing reactions when I have informed my clients over the years that their divorces have become final.  Over the past 25 years, I have had such conversations more than 10,000 times.  Most often, the client is relieved and even happy, but sometimes such news is received with sadness.

Divorce is an opportunity to find yourself and to pursue your interests.  It may even open the door to new interests and friends.  Upon my first divorce, I decided to start running.  I was out of shape. The first time I ran, I got winded after one block.  But, I kept at it and have since enjoyed many years of running miles at a time.  Last year, I ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon in just over two hours.

The New York Marathon will take place this coming Sunday.  One participant also discovered running after her divorce.  Like me, she started off barely able to run at all, but she has since run several marathons.

If you are divorced and are considering having sex, be sure to have safe sex.  This is especially important if you haven’t been dating for many years.  If you are sexually active, you can get sexually transmitted diseases.  If you take the proper precautions, sex after divorce can be very enjoyable.

I would love to hear your story of life after divorce.  It may also be helpful to others.  Please post your story in the comment section.