I have had my heart broken numerous times (mostly by the same person, regretfully). There have been days that I’ve sworn myself off to relationships ever again and days I’ve thought that I would never recover. But despite the broken heart and painful memories, I’ve realized that life goes on. And the more time passes, the more I begin to realize that I deserve the kind of love I repeatedly give to other people.

My biggest problem at the end of a relationship is that I blame myself for everything that went wrong. I have a tendency to see no fault in the other person and blame the separation on myself entirely. But I have come to the realization recently that nothing I could have done would have changed the outcome of these relationships. When I love someone, I love them with all of my heart and would do anything possible to keep them by my side. I believe that if two people genuinely want to be together in an equally committed relationship, they will stop at nothing to make it work successfully. Sadly, my previous boyfriends have not had these same ideas.

But, everything happens for a reason. Everyone needs to go through their fair share of mistakes and heartaches in order to truly appreciate a good, healthy relationship in their future. Just because people have broken your heart does not mean you are not worthy of love, and just because people have given up on you does not mean you are not worth staying for. Your past relationships do not define who you are but rather give you chances to evaluate your mistakes and move forward in your life. When you finally get yourself back on your feet and pick up all the broken pieces that person has left you with, you’ll know exactly what to look for in your next relationship, and what to avoid.

Let the universe take over. Do things that make you happy and advance your life in positive ways. Your heart is going to be broken into a million pieces, likely a few more times. But each of these new experiences is going to teach a lesson that is necessary to move forward on your path in life.

Not everyone is capable of loving you the way you deserve and want to be loved. It is important to recognize this, and choose people to be in your life who truly make you happy and make you want to become a better person.

Everyone deserves to be with someone who can’t stand the thought of living without them. Don’t settle for anything less.