Things don't have to end where your ex left you...you just have to do 3 things: thinking about what went wrong, fixing what went wrong, and showing your ex that you've fixed what went wrong. Now, that's a really simple way to put it, and it may be a little misleading...so I'll elaborate on each point.

Thinking about what went wrong is NOT just sitting around mourning over your dead relationship and interrogating yourself as to what's the matter with you. Yes, you need to find out what you did wrong, but hopeless whining over a bucket of ice cream isn't your target means of attack. Remember that relationships usually end because one person either wasn't getting what he or she needed out of the relationship, or something his or her partner was doing was driving him/her away.

Either can kill a relationship, even one that was once close. People have certain expectations and needs concerning what they get out of a relationship. That may sound like a selfish take on it, but it's simple facts: a person isn't going to stay in a relationship that isn't satisfying him or her...and of course somebody won't stay with another person who's driving him or her away.

At this point, you have to look over your relationship and see what you were doing wrong. Really analyze yourself and your behavior, and find the problem. Once you've figured out what you were doing to make your ex want to leave, you can get to work fixing it.

When you first set out towards actually fixing the problem, it's important to remember that you can only really do anything about the problems that are your fault. It doesn't matter what you think your ex may have done wrong, it's your job to focus on yourself. Whatever you contributed to the breakup, you have to aim all of your self-improving attention at it. There are going to be sacrifices, that's just part of the process.

Now, nobody said that this will be easy, but let me tell you straight up that it's completely worth it. If you can do this, not only will you have a much higher chance of making it work with your ex but you'll also just feel better about yourself in general.

The last big thing to do once you've identified and dealt with the problem is to show your ex all you've done. This shouldn't be a blatant phone call saying "lookie what I did, I'm better now!" Contact should be gradual, unobtrusive, and nonconfrontational. You're reinitiating contact not because you want to get back together, but because you care about the person and how he or she is doing.

Eventually you'll have built up to some real contact again, and the two of you will probably be spending some time together. When you do this, make sure that you spend time doing things you both enjoy, and let the changes you've made speak for themselves. Trust me, if you did a good enough job your ex will notice...and from there, it's all up to chance and how you play your cards as to whether or not you can manage to pull things back together between you.

There's no such thing as an easy, foolproof fix for a broken relationship, but this formula is about the closest you'll come by. Remember too that even if your ex just simply isn't into giving it another shot, that's not the end of the world. The changes you've made to yourself will serve to both boost your confidence and make you a more attractive possibility for a lot of other people...and in a world of six billion people, you're bound to find somebody who makes you incredibly happy. Good luck.