Shannon Beador Reflects On Life After Her Split From David Beador!

Shannon Beador gives an update on her life after splitting from her husband David Beador. “It’s crazy to think what you can accomplish in a year,” the Real Housewives of Orange County star told PEOPLE. “I’ve learned a lot. To say in one year, I’m going to lose nearly all my weight, launch a business that so far is doing well, move on from a marriage, and strengthen friendships and established new ones? That’s a tall order! But I’ve gotten here one step at a time.”

Shannon reveals that after ending her marriage, she has taken time over the past year to work on herself. “I’ve gotten stronger, deep down,” Shannon says. “Part of what I did after I separated with David — while staying home, not going out, and not doing much of anything — was I tried to self-reflect and figure out the changes I wanted to make in myself. What kind of person do I want to be?”

“I wasn’t any rose to come home to at the end of my marriage,” she continues. “I was really reactive. And I needed to learn to take a step back, take in any potential criticism I might perceive about being negative, and really examine that.”

As previously reported, Shannon has been dating businessman Scot Matteson — but despite dating, Shannon is staying  away from committing herself to a relationship. Meanwhile, her estranged husband has entered into a serious relationship with girlfriend Lesley Cook, with whom he moved in, according to Shannon.

“I have no control over David’s life anymore, he can do whatever he wants to do. But for me, I think that it’s important to not jump into a relationship right away,” Shannon told PEOPLE. “I think it’s important for me to stand on my own for a little bit and check out my options. It’s like, if I immediately go with one person, I’m cutting myself off from meeting so many people. I don’t want to do that right now.”

Looking back into her marriage, Shannon admits she never took the time to get to know David the way she should have. “I got married when I was 35,” Shannon recalled. “It was later for me and I think I was a little bit, ‘I got to hurry up here if I want to have kids so we’re going to make this one work.’ And then we got pregnant on our honeymoon, which was a blessing but we never had that, ‘We’re just married and it’s me and you time.’ “

“We never did, but I was thinking that we’d evolve into something,” she added. “I want a partner. I want to be part of a team. I want to support my partner and I want him to support me. I want to encourage him, and be positive, and have fun. I didn’t have that in my marriage.”

Photo Credit: Bravo