All too often we go out of our way to please someone who might not be worth our time, or someone we care about but know won't return the favor.

Am I going to regret doing this?

Is it worth going out of my way to help them?

Is it worth all this effort I'm putting into a relationship and getting little in return?

All of these questions are valid, and you have to answer them truthfully so you can make the determination if this person is worth your time. Only you can answer these questions. You are the one who can make the decision to empty the bag to make the hike easier. Let me tell you from firsthand experience, you won't be able to please everyone, nor will you be able to make everyone happy. In my world, happiness is key. The main selling point in a relationship, for me, is being happy. I refuse not to be happy; I refuse to muddle in a miserable fold of life. There is too much time left for me to be unhappy. Happiness isn't the only thing that I'm worried about though: there are many other aspects of a relationship that must be met to bring it full circle.

Live life with no regrets is what everyone says, but is it possible to live a life without any regrets? I heard this phrase a lot when I was younger and thought that I would stick to it. Looking back at the decisions I've made, do I regret some? Yes, yes I do. In the heat of the moment, I've made some dumb decisions that have cost me friendships, relationships, and much more. Do I regret all of them? No. Do I regret getting rid of an unhealthy relationship? Absolutely not. I genuinely live life without regret. If you bring an ounce of negativity to my plate, cause me to go out of my way when I know you wouldn't, or try to play me like a game of cards, then I will give you the boot quicker than you can apologize.

One of my pet peeves is lying. IT ISN'T HARD. In the course of my work duties, I use the phrase regularly, "If you tell the truth now, it will help you in the long run." I feel I should have this phrase printed on business cards and hand them to everyone who starts talking to me. I'm very good at figuring out the truth and can solve almost anything you ask me to. If you cannot tell the simple truth to someone, then you do not deserve to be with that person. If you lead someone on because you don't take emotions seriously, then you aren't worthy of that person. If someone can't give you the piece of honesty you deserve, they aren't worth your time.

Regularly, you may be feeling like you're putting an extreme amount of effort into a friendship/relationship and the return is minimal. I have been that person since high school. Some of my "friends" only come around when they want an answer or when they need my help. After reaching out to those people who I had helped, I quickly realized they wouldn't return the favor to help me. The ultimate realization hit when I left home to go to college. Living independently, I had to focus on improving myself and doing what I needed to get done. Since then, I've no longer dealt with these so called "friends" because they won't help me when I help them.

There's only so much you can try to do to please someone. If you aren't doing enough to satisfy yourself, then let loose, have fun, be adventurous. Your happiness is paramount to any tangible item in life. If you are happy, then you'll radiate happiness to those around you. You have to focus on yourself. You determine your level of happiness. You do you. Love yourself.