I have held onto a lot of things from my past, and I let them affect me still to this day. I want to say I am super confident in putting my foot down, telling all of those bad thoughts to go away, and believing everything will be perfect in a moment, but that’s not the way it will happen. I may still struggle with those bad thoughts and worries from my past for years to come, but at least I know I will be making progress as long as I keep working at it. If you are like me, you have come to the right place.

I trust too much, and I have had my heart broken a few times as a result. If you have read my article, “Dear Mr. Rock Star,” you have learned that I have been ghosted three times. I never really learned, and maybe you haven’t either. I am a very empathetic and emotional person. This doesn’t mean that I break down in tears all the time. For me, it means that I can feel what other people are feeling very easily and very deeply, and those emotions can take control of me. When I start to like, or grow to love, someone, I put my heart, body, and soul into making that person feel wanted. I would do anything for them. This doesn’t just include significant others, but this includes my closest friends too. If you are like me, you go out of your way to pick up that Shamrock Shake that your boyfriend has been craving, or to send a loving and thoughtful text when you know your best friend hasn’t been having the greatest week.

I’m very open, and I do my best not to judge people by what they have done, but by their heart. I see the good in people, a quality that not many people seem to have anymore. I believe that anyone can be a good person, no matter what they have done in their past, so long as they are wanting and willing to change their behavior. Sometimes, however, this leads me to misjudge people in the way that I truly believe they are good when in fact they are far from that. I am also very accepting and I try my best to respect everyone. If you are like me, you don’t judge a book by its cover. Instead, you give them the opportunity to prove themselves with a clean slate to start with. No matter what you may have heard about somebody, they deserve respect and a fair chance.

But I will change. I promised myself I would and I promise you that you will too. Not that being empathetic and open are awful, but sometimes they have led me to be walked over and used. If you are like me, you have had days where the emotions get so overwhelming that you are worn out all day, or worse. You will get out of this rut you’re in. Those feelings that haunt you won’t haunt you anymore. The anxiety that cripples you and leaves you hugging your pillow and just staring straight ahead because you don’t know what else to do, that will go away someday. People won’t hurt you or take advantage of you anymore. Continue to be the amazing person that you are and embrace the qualities you have, but remember that not everything in this world is as wonderful as you are. Some of this is me talking to myself, I will admit, but these things are something that other girls need to hear as well.

Your qualities are so important. If you are empathetic like me, then you are a jewel in this world. We are a rare breed to be able to feel so deeply the emotions of others and relate to others from their times of happiness to their most painful moments. When people need a friend to confide in, you are always there to listen and lend a helping hand when needed. You are the first person to smile at or say hi a stranger, maybe even making their day by doing so. Even though you may say yes too much to people, that is not always a bad thing. People need someone they can count on and someone they can talk to. I know sometimes the emotions can be overwhelming, but the fact that you feel them so intensely is incredible. It means that when you fall in love with someone, you will feel it so much. When other people are happy, it will radiate to you. Even if you feel the sorrow, it means that you will feel the good emotions so much more powerfully.