The Love You Deserve

     I believe that we are all familiar with the quote, " We accept the love we think we deserve", but I wonder how many of us have taken pause to scrutinize and understand this saying.  Although it is difficult for me to believe, there are people out there that do not believe this saying to be true, but for those of you who do I ask this--how many times have you accepted love that you thought you deserved, but it ended in dire heart break?  And did you learn anything about yourself from this heartbreak or did you continue to travel the same road repeatedly only to reach the same end result?
     Love is a powerful thing, I have said it a million times and I will continue to say it again and again for it is true.  It is also mutable and varied as well.  It is an entity we can not control and only barely understand.  But, a way to better understand it, to live with and within it (in a fruitful and healthy way) is to understand ourselves.  We all accept the love we think we deserve.  If we think we only deserve bits and pieces of few good things here or there, then that is what we seek for it is comfortable and we understand it.  In doing this we do not help ourselves to grow in love or individually, but we stagnate ourselves instead.  In order to have a healthy, prosperous, love we must not only know ourselves, but heal ourselves.
     We DO set the rules for how others treat us and what we will accept for ourselves in our relationships.  If we allow others to take advantage, manipulate, hurt or abuse us, using the gift of our love against us--we must take time to figure out and understand why we allow and accept this treatment.  Then we must decide whether or not we want something better for ourselves and if we are willing to work towards it or if we will remain as we are.  Not that it is easy to change--to grow--, mind you, for it is not at all.  It will take a lot of time and effort, but at the end of the day will it not be worth it--are we not worth it?  We may, in this process of growth, lose a person whom we love dearly, fiercely and completely, but if the love is one sided--if they do not mark our happiness as being (at the very least) as important as their own (and treat us like it) nor are they on the "same page" as we are--is not the pain of the loss worth it?  Is it not a beautiful thing to learn that the capacity of our love is greater then previously perceived or that we can love with such a completeness that our love is unconditional?  Is learning and experiencing a new level of love and passion--the memory of the beauty of it--something newly discovered about ourselves not treasure enough to take with us as compensation from walking away from one whom we love, but who does not reciprocate?
     Love isn't easy and it isn't enough by itself.  It is a large, beautiful and important part of a whole, but like a clock it needs more than one cog to run properly.  When we give ourselves and our love to someone, we give them a gift that is absolutely priceless and beyond compare--for to give of ourselves is always that greatest and most marked treasure we can bestow upon another, let alone our love.  Love takes work--the work of TWO people--it takes time, energy, effort, desire, and care to reach its purest, highest manifestation of itself.  But without two, working together constantly it can not--will not work.  We all not only need, but deserve a completely equal partner.  One who not only accepts what we offer, but offers the same in return.  One who will treasure, understand, appreciate and reciprocate the boon we give them in giving ourselves.  A partner who will walk beside us as an equal who we never have a question or a doubt about their intentions, desires or heart.

     We deserve the best for we give the best.  We need to remember not to sell ourselves short--to break bad habits and cycles--so that we may have a beautiful, prosperous, relationship blessed with happiness, longevity and love.  We, the tender and brave of hearts; the good natured and optimistic, supportive, patient, kind and understanding, loving, souls--we who love continuously with all the hope in the world thrilling through our veins--we deserve the best.  So, work towards it faithfully, because--like happiness--a good, healthy, relationship is a choice!  Mark my words, remember them, but above all BELIEVE THEM--for I speak them honestly and from my heart!
     Until another time I wish you all Love and Happiness of the truest kind.
          ~Marissa