A friend of mine started dating a new guy and asked for my advice. She described this guy to me as the perfect one. According to her, he is intelligent, funny, confident, handsome, and they have great chemistry. She confided in me and told me that she thinks she is not good enough for him. I couldn’t let it slide.

She told me that she thinks her low self-esteem is to blame. She feels she hasn’t been able to fully open up to him as she still thinks twice before speaking her mind. She fears she’ll bore him and is afraid of his responses. It was important for me to tell her, and now to all of you, that you are always good enough.

If you are in a relationship in which you’re afraid of your partner’s response, it’s not a healthy bond. Be yourself, love yourself. That’s the only way you can expect others to do the same. How long can you put up a fake persona? It’s exhausting. If someone doesn’t love you for the real you, they’re not worthy of your love.

If someone doesn’t know you, how can expect them to love you? How can you expect this kind of relationship to last? Because trust me, it won’t. You are beautiful just the way are, and if someone doesn’t see that, it’s their loss. If you feel like you don’t love yourself, and find yourself feeling this way in every relationship, take some time away to work on loving yourself. It’s important and crucial. Feeling as if you are less than someone else is never good, and can lead to a toxic, controlling relationship.

I’m not saying it’s not normal to feel a little insecure when you meet someone for the first time. But, it’s important for that special someone to get to know the real you. You have to know your value, how much you’re worth. Be yourself! Don’t be afraid of what others will think. Because eventually, you will find the one who will love you unconditionally, and it will be worth the wait.