Me, Myself and I

It's been almost two full months since we parted ways. I'm not only getting stronger in myself but also learning my lessons...

Boys and girls, you do not want to endure the pain of a breakup only to experience the same devastation weeks, months, or years later with someone else. Certain things must be thought about and understood before the thought of getting over an ex even enters your mind as a possibility.

What were my lessons? I can recap them easily because I've already done so in a journal (it's not a diary)!
-> Recognize the red flags before jumping in head-on. In my specific situation, red flags included, but where not limited to: his inability to talk about problems/ issues and his blatant knowledge of that fact, he came from a broken home, his mother was insane (seriously, she has a dual personality something or other). Oh yeah, and he had cheated on all of his previous girlfriends :)
-> Never move in together within the first three months of knowing each other. This is evidently a big one, not to mention now obvious.
-> Never, ever, ever place someone else higher than you on the importance ladder. It isn't being selfish, it's being honest. Sure, the guy may have deeply rooted problems, but does that mean that they are more important than yours? I'll give you a hint...no!
-> You can't help him. You can try, but it's him that has to do the changing/ see a psychologist/ deal with his issues.
-> Avoid him if he's insecure- even if he won't admit to it!
-> Understand the pros and cons of this relationship. What did he teach you? How did he make you happy/ sad? Is there a particular type of guy that he was and should you make an effort to stay away from this "brand" of guy in the future? By answering some of these questions, you can recognize what you need from a future love thing. It also keeps you from thinking self- destructive thought like...why did he break up with me? Will I ever find love again? What is he doing right now/ does he miss me?

Consider my lessons learned.