I wish I knew why some of us have such a hard time accepting love. Of course, this isn't a problem for most. For some people, love comes easily and without having to be rationalized. For the rest of us, it's hard to accept the fact that someone loves you and isn't lying when they tell you how much they care. If I had to guess, we feel this way because we don't love ourselves as much as we should, which is a true shame.

Before you can let someone else love you, you have to love yourself. I think "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is correct about how we accept the love we think we deserve. If you're going through a rough patch or a dark time in your life, it's hard to open up to those who are trying to comfort you. When you feel defeated and not worth fighting for, sometimes it feels like someone wanting to love you makes your feelings about yourself invalid.

To set the record straight, it isokayto let people love on you. You deserve love no matter how you feel about yourself– no matter what you've done or the mistakes you've made. The first step in accepting affection is letting go of the skewed perception you have of yourself. Just as it is imperative to forgive someone before actually moving on, you must forgive yourself and find inner peace in order to create a positive self-image. If someone says they love and care about you, that is their decision. Their feelings are not validated by your willingness to accept their love. You have to trust, even if that's out of your comfort zone, the people who want to love you. Give yourself a break and let yourself love and be loved in return.