People will treat you like you treat yourself.

Besides our health, the most significant challenges you face in your life will be the relationships you have with others. Your emotions, preferences, ego, fears, strengths and weaknesses all combine to make you an extremely complex animal. Each of those attributes combines to form the relationships you keep. And when there is a conflict among them, that is when the poo hits the fan.

You are responsible for how others treat you.

When a relationship goes south with negative words and feelings, it is time to get away. Unfortunately, many times you can’t or won’t. Sometimes, you feel bound to this person, and thus, you make excuses to put up with the abuse. Trying desperately to feel right, you fight back. Seeking validation from the battle becomes the only pressure valve you’ve got. Eventually, you’ll become addicted and dependant on that relationship.

Until you understand that you’re worthy of being treated fairly and with respect, you’ll never understand why others treat you so poorly. The world gives us everything you ask for, but unfortunately you ask for the wrong things.

You ask for love but settle for the hostility that can come with it.

You ask for respect but settle for a battle of words to keep it.

When you ask to be validated but don’t get it, settle for insecurity.

You need to love you before anyone else will.

There is no relationship worth more than the one you’ll have with yourself! When you are in a toxic relationship, you become toxic. If you stay toxic long enough, the toxicity will become your drug. You will die a toxic junkie.

Love yourself first, then ask the world for love. I promise you’ll get it. You deserve it. You were born to love and receive love.

When you have found a way out of an abusive relationship, never look back. Love yourself enough to understand that having escaped the trap, don’t go back for the cheese.