As Valentine’s Day is coming up, whether or not you have a significant other, there are some things that you need to know my sweet girl. I have been walked over. I have felt worthless. I have felt like I was never enough. You, my sweet girl, should never EVER settle for less than you deserve, and darling, you deserve the world at your fingers. You deserve a man, not a boy, to treat you like a princess, and then later, a queen. One of my favorite songs, “Divisions” by Audiostrobelight, has a line that I will never forget.

"She doesn’t want the boy in boyfriend, just the man in romance."

Many times in my life, I have realized how true that song lyric is. Boys are immature and won’t pay attention to your feelings and how you should be treated, but a true man will. This Valentine’s Day, don’t go on a date just to say you went on a date. Sometimes, it is better to be alone than to be with someone. If you are not planning to go out, take the time to remember how you should be treated.

I went through a breakup with a boyfriend of over two years recently, and before we had broken up, I went to my best friend for some advice. What she told me, I am going to take to my next relationship and I believe that every woman should as well.

"If there’s a little girl down inside of you that believes he’s not That Guy, then you deserve to listen to her. We. Deserve. More. Than we were given. We try to squash it down because we’re so content with someone else and can’t picture life without them but…sometimes you can feel in your heart that this isn’t how it’s supposed to be."

Let me repeat. We. Deserve. More. You, my sweet girl, deserve the man of your dreams, and I never want you to forget that. You deserve so much more.

You deserve a man who, in between kisses, calls you gorgeous, beautiful, amazing, and perfect.

You deserve a man that you can be totally honest with right off the bat. With my old relationship, I felt like I needed to hold in my feelings when I was upset and pretended like nothing was wrong. In the end, this harmed my relationship because I wasn’t being totally honest and the lack of communication did not help us sort out problems.

My sweet girl, you deserve a man who will flaunt you because you, my princess, deserve to be flaunted. Find yourself a man who is not afraid to show you off to his friends, take pictures of you when you’re laughing, and who talks to his family about how incredible you really are.

You deserve to experience emotion-filled texts that when you read them, your heart is finally happy. I have been getting to know a man who has exceeded my every expectation. He has been a light in my life and I am so thankful and blessed to have met him. Through our time getting to know each other, he has sent me some text messages that have shown me that he is willing to put in the time for me.

"I hope to God this lasts because truthfully I’ve never been this honest to God happy."

"I never thought I would meet another girl who I could see myself being with, but then I got to know you and that changed."

"God gave me such a beautiful woman in my life and I’m so thankful for that."

"You’re the best person in my life and I owe all my current happiness to you."

On another note, I have an internet friend who I have known for over five years who taught me how I should be treated before I had a real boyfriend. He has never disrespected me and calls me a queen. He has been a big support throughout my high school years until now, and I don’t know what I would do without him. When I was going through a difficult time in high school because I had been walked over by a guy, he told me this:

"If he didn’t realize how amazing you are already, then he didn’t deserve you. Because I know how amazing you are…and it’s pretty impossible to leave someone like you."

So, my dear girl, never settle for less. A man is going to come in your life (or perhaps already has) who is going to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. I have been blessed to have friends who have helped me see that I should always listen to what my gut is feeling and my heart is saying. I know what I want in a man now and I will never settle, and I hope that you don’t either.