In today's time, I feel like the worst and major cause of self pity stems from the confusion of a relationship versus having relations - if you know what I mean. If you don't, well, I'll explain it for you real quick! A relationship is a commitment between two people that have both established the meaning of the bond that they share, as well as the feelings. It's understood, mutual, and it is set in stone. Relations on the other hand, tend lean more on one side, if they aren't completely one sided from the beginning. When having relations with someone, it's just that. There shouldn't be any feelings involved- right? At least that's what we think.
Have you ever been put in a situation where you know that you like someone more than they like you? I have, and I have always wondered why it leaves a sort of guilty feeling within me. At the beginning of a "relation", there are no rules. The only rule is, to not 'catch feelings', and even that rule is unspoken of. You go along in this "relation" mimicking all of the things of an actual relationship, and boom. You start to develop feelings that you feel like you have to hide. BUT, the real gag is, you don't! You shouldn't have to hide the way that you feel, because whether you like it or not, you feel that way.
This cycle seems to be long going and almost never ending! When confusing the two scenarios, it can cause you to feel worthless or not good enough for the person that you want. I'm here to tell you how you can end that cycle for yourself, TODAY! First things first, know what you want when starting something new. You should know what you want in a relationship, what qualities you look for in a partner, and the morals they must have. Try not to focus on the appearance, or materialistic things, because that says nothing about a persons true character! This alone will help you separate your preferences, when looking for a relationship vs looking for a relation.
If you know in your mind what you want with a person, you control how your feelings move. I like to tell my peers, "girl, just play your role". This means, just go with the flow! If someone obviously isn't taking the relationship to an actual relationship level, then they are on the road to a relation! If you have made up your mind to have a relation as well, then you're all set! If you had your heart set on a love story, and the other person involved is not as invested as you, then tell them how you feel. Tell them how you wanted something more, and ask them if they are interested. Maybe they will be; but if they are not, then they simply are not.
Now here's what you really need to hear- you don't deserve someone who doesn't want the same thing as you. The only feeling that it will bring upon you is discomfort, pain, and sadness, and baby, nobody wants to feel that! When you establish what you want, you begin to realize that want you want in a relationship is what you deserve! Anybody who can't meet those standards are not for you. As soon as you get the notion that you feel stronger for a person than they do for you, it's time to let them know, and detach. Once you tell the person how you were feeling, or that you don't want to continue the relation because you were beginning to want a relationship, they will respect that. It will show them that you know what you deserve, and that you will not settle for the bare minimum.
I've been seeing this quote on twitter about intimacy, and how we mistake our need for touch as a need for sexual relations. I have realized that this ties into today's blog very well. We sometimes feel as if we only want relations with a person, and once they give us that intimacy that we desire, it creates feelings that become difficult to debunk. My take on this is to focus on yourself, and your feelings. The moment that you start to confuse the need for intimacy for sex, is when you lose your values within yourself. In order to take full control of your feelings is to know that the intimacy we crave comes with love, which lies in a relationship; well, true intimacy at that. Otherwise it's just sex, and that comes easy with just relations, which makes it hard to decipher.
We as humans feel like we have to suppress the way we feel to avoid the judgment of others, and we also admire the way that others speak up for themselves. It's time we learn how to be the person that we respect, and admire. We have to stand up for ourselves, and believe that we deserve more than the tragedies that we put ourselves through. Always remember to take care of yourself, your mind, body, and spirit. We are on the path of becoming the BEST version of ourselves, and it starts with you.