My favorite thing in the world is love. But what I really love are the people behind the word, for they're the true meaning. The ones who have given me feelings I've never experienced before. The ones who have warmed my heart and brightened my soul.

I believe that everyone should be given love. But sometimes I think I try to give out so much love, that I set myself up too high for those around me to reach. To be able to give the same. This isn't to say that some people haven't. I've met some great people in my lifetime. I've been lucky enough to have people in my life who would do anything for me and want all of me.

But lately I've come to realize that not everyone is like that. I so easily create this illusion that everyone is like me. That everyone gives to others, to their relationships, like I do. It's taken me a long time to be that honest with myself. I now know it's not fair for me to expect this from others while still giving and giving.

A lot of the time having these expectations only leads me to feeling disappointed and let down. I get in my head that if I would act a certain way, do certain things, say certain words, so should everyone else.

Not only do I always give, but I always forgive. It's easy to pretend not to be let down when you never hold anything against anyone.

This mindset has only left me feeling foolish recently. Like I said, having high expectations can leave you discouraged and saddened. But at the same time having low expectations will never leave you satisfied. Unfortunately when you give people endless chances without penalizing them when they don't treat you the way you treat them, you end up allowing them to walk all over you.

And that's where I went wrong.

I figured if I wanted to give everything to relationships, that was my decision. If I wanted to forgive people and brush things off if a friend hurt my feelings, again that was my decision. If I wasn't treated the way I felt I deserved, that was just a small price to pay for trying to be selfless.

And that was exhausting.

So lately I've been trying something different. Instead of brushing things off, I've decided to stand up for myself. I shouldn't have to be afraid to speak up when I feel mistreated.

At the end of the day, we all just want people to value our friendships in the same way we do. And if we find that they don't, then that leaves us wondering if it's really worth it. Sometimes it's easy to give so much that you prevent others from giving to you in the same ways.

If you ever find yourself in my shoes, wondering why you don't receive what you really want from your relationships, I hope you'll take some time for yourself. I hope you'll give people a chance to love you like you love them. I hope you'll choose to not live in fear of saying what you want and expect. Because then I know that you'll earn it.

When you bend and bend for other people, why would they ever feel the need to bend over for you? Bend a little less and I think you'll find that the people in your life who really count will start to give to you.

Those that value you as much as you value them are the ones who deserve a friend like you.