Relationships are the most beautiful and complicated entanglements humans get themselves into on this crazy earth. They are a constant balance of 'give and take' and they either push you to the breaking point, or they become what gets you out of bed every morning. Relationships are so incredibly intricate and beautiful because that is what we are as humans. Each and every one of us is comprised on the tiniest and most delicate inner workings that create our fears, our dreams, and our greatest passion, and those differences can either make us stronger or end up suffocating us in a toxic relationship.

Everyone comes across those people in their life who are hard to get along with and equally hard to leave behind. These are the relationships always based on this notion that you are always expected to give of yourself, leaving you drained every time you’re around this person. These connections are dangerous because they make you believe that lie that you always comes second in relationships.

Everyone tells you that relationships are about pursuing the other person, but I’ve found the reverse is also an important perspective to examine. Yes, I do believe relationships require sacrifice and sometimes compromising is worth it to maintain a friendship. On the other hand, relationships are not always about chasing after people who you think will make you happy, but rather growing next to people who help you learn more about yourself.

A relationship can not simply be you constantly giving yourself to another person, instead, it should also be about discovering the ways in which you can be best loved and appreciated by others. So many times we focus on pleasing those around us and we spend far too little time developing an understanding and appreciation for ourselves. The problem with this is we begin to derive our value from others and the moment they step out of our lives we are left empty. It is not selfish to see your well-being as a priority within a relationship because they are a two-way street, which means you shouldn’t always have to be the one making the sacrifices.

While I’m not saying you should give up on a relationship because you're constantly being drained by the demands of someone else, the truth is that it’s not wrong to seek out relationships that will benefit your well-being. What are we if we give up who we are in exchange for the affirmation and acceptance of others?

Our relationships with others are some of the most valuable things we have in this life, but we also have the obligation to prioritize our relationship with ourselves. If we take the “I” out of the relationship and become numb to our own feelings, we become slaves to the other person.