Julianne Hough graces the cover of the August issue of Redbook magazine and within its pages she dishes on her split from Ryan Seacrest and her bold move to take a chance on new love. Julianne, who is presently on tour for “Move Live,” her dance extravaganza with brother Derek Hough, says there was more to her split from the American Idol and radio personality than what the media was initially told.

When Julianne Hough and Ryan Seacrest announced their split back in March of 2013 they cited their crazy schedules as the catalyst for the break up.

“Every relationship, there was nothing wrong or bad, but there was nothing right,” Hough says in the magazine. “I had one foot out because I didn’t want to get hurt. And I didn’t say what was on my mind because I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers. I needed to be perfect.”

Nine months later Julianne started dating hockey player Brooks Laich, and she has a whole new attitude on love.

“But now I’m not holding anything back, because I’d rather get my heart broken than never know what it is to be completely, madly in love,” she says. “If I had been this open in my last relationship, who knows?”

It seems a six-day seminar on destiny–and creating your own–may have contributed to Julianne Hough’s new outlook. The young woman has faced many obstacles in her life. Maybe this seminar helped move her past at least one of them?

“I was not into it at first, but I learned so much about myself and why my relationships didn’t work that by the end I was on a high,” she says. “I was seeing a couple people, but immediately [pretends to text guys], ‘You are nice, but this is going nowhere.’ The next day my ‘Curve’ costar introduced [Brooks and me]. It couldn’t have been a better time. We’ve been open and honest from Day 1.”

Happiness seems to be a way of life now for the former Dancing With the Stars pro. A recent Instagram post is captioned, “Good morning! Let’s be happy today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our lives! 🙂 Have a joyful day everyone! Xoxo” Her outlook is almost contagious.

Julianne Hough and Ryan Seacrest never seemed to be right for each other. Aside from their age difference there always appeared to be something lacking between them. Julianne has now defined this, learned from her inability to let go, and moved on to a happy, love-filled life. She probably wishes the same for Ryan Seacrest.

For now Julianne is dancing her way into pure, unadulterated happiness–in both her career and her private life, too.

Image via YouTube