Love is not dysfunctional!

Relationships. They are everywhere. Healthy or unhealthy, we have relationships with our parents, families, schoolmates, friends... But, why do people stay in unhealthy relationships? If only everyone knew how fun, satisfyingly inspiring and amazing it is to be in a happy and healthy relationship...! I didn't know this until just recently, and to be honest, I too have settled and stayed in an unhealthy relationship! Just don't do it, it's not worth it!

But first of all, what constitutes an unhealthy relationship? To me, I think any relationship that makes you feel unhappy quite hits the mark. Relationships are supposed to be fun! And in fact, since relationships are something that we have ever since we are children and quite possibly until we die (if we are lucky enough), we should really make sure we keep the right ones around...

And...Everyone of these relationships can help us, enrich us, and make us better people as well as simply give us joy. Unhealthy relationships rarely promote any of these feelings. And that is exactly why you want to stay away from them! Unhealthy relationships can leave us feeling uncomfortable, sad and yes, even afraid! They can be abusive and scary.

When people think of abuse, they think of physical abuse but emotional abuse is just as dangerous. So why do people stay in these relationships? Maybe they don't want to feel alone? Maybe they are scared of change? Whatever the reason, none of them is big enough!

Healthy relationships are fun and make you feel good about yourself. They inspire you to be a better person. And guess what? Healthy relationships are not hard to achieve. Try it! There are only a few things to keep in mind. They probably taught you these when you were little! But if not... here we go:

1. Respect everyone- instead of being angry and lashing out, think before you do anything! Would you like to be treated that way? Unless you enjoy being unhappy or in pain, my guess is no.
2. Do not expect anyone to be responsible for your happiness! Once you do, you will resent them because the truth is, no one can make you happy if you can't do it for yourself!
3. Two way communication- People usually have different points of view, acknowledge this and agree to disagree. Just because you think differently than someone doesn't mean it makes one person more right than the other. You both get a right to state your points of view. Respect that! (Remember: Freedom of speech!)
4.  Get rid of negative people in your life- Negative people will only ruin your day. In fact, sometimes they will feed off of it, they want to see you unhappy because they are unhappy. Don't give them the pleasure. Be positive and stay positive. Negativity will only draw back your positive aura!
5. Always tell the truth! Duh!- Don't lie.. lies let themselves known eventually! Sometimes a lie can break a relationship forever! Is it worth losing a relationship for? Even losing your reputation for? My guess is... not!
6. Super important: Don't  ask of someone more than they are able to give for themselves! The odds are that they will not fit into your mold and you will resent them for it! And they, in turn, will not appreciate the relationship if you are unable to love them for who they are. It's basic: Don't try to change anyone, accept them just as they are!
7. Last but not least- Be yourself!! Simple, but sometimes the hardest thing to do for some people. People worry too much about what others think! Do what makes you happy! Do you, be you! May sound cheesy... but in the end, you will be happier and you will attract the right kind of people!

If you follow this simple advice, you might even get to keep a crumbling relationship from falling apart, because the truth is... people do change! I've seen it happen..."Love has no awareness of merit or demerit; it has no scale... Love loves; this is its nature". Love is the single most important thing for me. Love is amazing, it's unconditional... When you're in love, you don't nag to make the other person feel guilty. You accept them just the way they are. Promote good relationships and don't stay in unhealthy ones!!