I’ve always been a vulnerable person. I believe vulnerability provides freedom and I want to live the closest to freedom that I can possibly live in everyday.

I’ve always been this person who allowed myself to feel all of my feelings. I believe that hiding your feelings only causes extra stress, anger and bitterness that we don’t need.

And I’ve always been this person who believes in the good in humans. I’m the person who asks for closure. I’m the person who gives out second chances. I’m the one that believes people when they tell me the reason for their mistake.

Some people think these attributes makes me weak. We live in this world that gives us a set of rules when dealing with relationships. You can’t text the boy back too quickly because it’ll show you like him. Make sure to bring up all of your friends' previous mistakes in an argument in order to portray this idea that you don’t need this friendship. If that guy shows any ounce of shade, completely drop him off the face of the planet because he’s definitely using you and it’s definitely not a communication problem. And no matter what you do, don’t give out too many second chances; it’s going to make people think they can use you.

We are these humans who have been hurt and we don’t want to be hurt again, so we listen to these rules. At the root of all these rules comes the same attribute: if you act like you don’t care, then you will be powerful.

I think we all want to be powerful because we look at our idols on television and they are always smiling. I think we all want to be powerful because the tough guys in high school were never messed with. I think we all want to be powerful because we just don’t want to be hurt, and if not getting hurt means acting like we don’t care, then we are okay with it.

I’m not okay with these sets of rules though and I’m definitely not in relationships to be more powerful.

You see, I really like people. I really like how humans are able to feel and love and explore. I love how each person has their own complex story to tell that makes them who they are. I adore the fact that these attributes of life and the traits created by DNA makes a human who they are.

When it comes to people, I believe that they are primarily good. Humans are so prone to making mistakes. Humans are going to fall short of my expectations. Humans are going to fail me.

Every single human I go into some sort of relationship with is going to fail me, so when they do and when we go into some sort of conflict, I choose to still care. I choose to be honest with how a situation made me feel. I choose to tell them that I’m not okay with it, but I also always choose to forgive them.

Sometimes I choose to give second chances, but sometimes I choose to move on.

Any relationship is just a couple of people who enjoy spending time with each other, so they choose to care about the other person. However, when conflict comes, we are so quick to prove that we don’t care anymore in order to make the other person more upset. We don’t want to make that person think they can continue to cause us pain.

I get it. I hate when I’m hurt too, but when we aren’t honest and vulnerable about how something makes us feel this can just lead to more bitterness and hatred. When we don’t at least try to believe that a person had a kind outlook, we just end up becoming angrier quicker.

For me, I choose to create boundaries when it comes to relationships. I understand that I am really the only person on this Earth that I can actually depend on, so I do look out for myself. I choose to be honest with how I feel with the other person. I choose to be vulnerable. I choose to let that person come into my world and see how something made me feel because I care for them.

Usually, we are able to resolve whatever issue it is, and we are able to move on. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, though. Sometimes, I give second chances out and the other person takes advantage of that, and I let the person know that I’m over it. I let that person know that I care and that I’m hurt, but it’s just not going to continue.

I don’t think there is a single person who has found me weak for caring for a person. We are here on this Earth to create relationships and to care – the most tremendous thing we can do.

We are going to get hurt. However, it’s so important to drop our pride or our need to receive power, and accept the fact that being vulnerable and honest about how we feel may actually produce more care for ourselves and the other person.