To all those women who have decentred men from their lives, how do you stay hopeful?

This is only for the women who have come out of a divorce or a long relationship and chosen to decentre men from their lives to work on themselves, get better, enjoy life to the maximum without expecting anything from anyone.

I am on the same boat and I love spending time with my friends and on my hobbies. I don't think I even want to ever get married. It just doesn't seem worth it.

But because of societal conventions, I sometimes feel scared that I'll end up alone and be perceived as the stereotypical irritable cat lady. I don't want to conform to those tropes, and while I am certain I won't, people around me are less optimistic.

I've not had powerful independent self sufficient female figures in my life to look up to unfortunately. Every time I encounter a woman in her 60s or 70s solo travelling happily, it fills my heart with hope. It makes me believe that there's more to life at every age than romantic love.

So that's what I'm looking from here - hope. Ladies, please share your stories of why the ending of a meaningful relationship stirred you on to the best path and how do you ensure you live a life greater than the cliched.