Relationships.

A beautiful, yet difficult and rewarding challenge. A challenge that is embraced with open arms by most.

Relationships take work and aren't always what they seem on the outside looking in. Don't get me wrong, relationships are wonderful. Full of growth and mystery, full of love, and excitement. Relationships can lead to something really rewarding, but it can also lead to one of the most heartbreaking experiences you've ever endured, depending on how invested you were. They say that falling in love is easy, and anyone is capable of falling into it. That’s why it is called falling in love— you don’t have to do anything. Staying in love is where it takes work. Staying in love can only happen when two people invest their whole heart into the relationship. Fighting for your relationship means learning to be patient, living selflessly, not taking things personally, and keeping your love on no matter what. It means forgiving, embracing, and understanding. Relationships are not for the weak, and they were never meant to be something to get into if you’re just bored and/or looking for fun.

Love is exciting, and people want to feel loved—they want to feel wanted and accepted. Wanting to be in love comes naturally for everyone, but it doesn’t mean that everyone is necessarily ready for it. Before getting into a relationship, you need to be in a place where you are perfectly okay with being alone. You need to learn to be content and independent. You need to find confidence in yourself—not cockiness. You need to discover who you are as a person and learn to chase after your passions and dreams without someone by your side.

Being in a relationship takes you to a whole new level, and if you aren’t secure in yourself and who you are as a person, you can lose yourself in the mix of the relationship. A healthy relationship comes from work, progress, and two strong people that know what they want, choosing to chase after it together. A strong relationship means vulnerability and perseverance; accepting the other person for who they are and not trying to change who they were created to be. It means truly accepting the relationship for where it’s at, and knowing that growth will come from perseverance. A relationship should challenge you, sharpen, and grow you into a better person. It should be stretching, but all done in love. You should be able to feel 100 percent confident in stating your own opinions, but also learning to respect and hear the other person out.

Many people have this idea that relationships come easy, that being single is some sort of disease, and that the cool thing to do these days is to find your "person." I believe that a relationship will come naturally to you when you are one hundred percent ready for it. Ready for a completely new change and growth. Relationships are rewarding, especially when you get through obstacles together as a couple. It's the greatest experience to go through, but if it is not the right timing for you, it is not worth it. You need to be ready to lay down a selfish life of your own, for someone else. You need to be ready to take on the challenges, and insecurities that come your way. You also need to be ready to learn the flaws about yourself that will most likely change. Right now, learn to be content with wherever you are at in the present moment, single or dating, you were placed in this spot for a reason, and no matter what, you are going to grow. It may just look differently. Enjoy the process, it is beautiful.