Sometimes, opening up yourself up is a mistake. Sometimes, you’re going to regret being so open and honest. Sometimes, expressing your emotions ends with you getting your heart completely shattered.
But you should never apologize for showing vulnerability — because it takes strength to be honest about your feelings. It takes courage to put yourself out there when there’s a chance you could end up getting hurt.
Most people let love escape because they’re too terrified of rejection, of embarrassment, of what the future might hold — but you didn’t allow the what ifs to hold you back from something beautiful. You chose to try. You chose to open yourself up to the idea of love. You chose to give a relationship a chance.
It might not have worked out for you this time, but you shouldn’t let that discourage you. You shouldn’t let it change your soft heart. You have the right idea. You just had the wrong person.
You might have gotten hurt by letting your walls down for someone who wasn’t able to rise to your expectations, but that shouldn’t stop you from letting your walls down for the right person in the future.
You shouldn’t let one heartache convince you to give up on love altogether. You shouldn’t call it quits due to one person’s behavior.
Of course, it’s okay to be cautious in the future. It’s okay to move slowly. It’s okay if you need some time before trusting someone new when the last person shattered your heart. It’s okay if you aren’t ready to be so vulnerable again so soon.
You don’t have to open yourself up to someone right away. You don’t have to rush into a relationship. When you give someone else a chance, you want to make sure they deserve it first. You want to make sure they are going to handle your heart tenderly.
Sometimes, tearing down your walls and letting a specific person inside is a mistake. But the act itself isn’t a mistake. It takes bravery. It takes trust. It takes vulnerability. And those are qualities you’re going to need in order to build a strong, sustainable relationship with the right person. Those are characteristics that should make you feel proud, not embarrassed, not ashamed, not like a fool.
Even though, right now, you might be blaming yourself for getting too attached or saying the wrong thing or acting like too much, you didn’t do anything wrong. If only for a little while, you let yourself be an optimist. A romantic. An open book.
Some people could never do what you did. They’re too afraid to try. They close themselves off because they think they’re protecting themselves, but really, they’re doing themselves a disservice.
They’re taking away their chance at love. Their chance at connection. Their chance at something real.
Unfortunately, sometimes, you might end up getting your heart broken by opening up to the wrong person, but you’re never going to end up with the right person unless you open yourself up again, unless you give love another shot. 
