You shouldn’t stay in a relationship where you’re miserable or lonely or neglected. If you want to try to make the relationship work for a while, that’s wonderful, but you need to stay realistic. You need to recognize when your hard work isn’t paying off, when the other person isn’t putting in any effort, when the relationship clearly isn’t going to work out in the end. It’s better to say goodbye to the wrong person than to say goodbye to your standards, your morals, your dreams of a happier future. If this person isn’t giving you what you need, you’re allowed to walk away. Don’t stick around in the hopes that they’ll come to their senses and treat you right. Pay attention to how they’re treating you right now. Remember, you’re not a quitter for ending the wrong relationship. You don’t want to deprive yourself of the opportunity to find someone who meets your standards, who surpasses expectations, who makes you feel loved and valued with every breath they take. You should be with someone who brings out the best in you, not someone who brings out the worst, who makes you break into tears every night, who causes you to scream your lungs out during fights. It’s better to quit on your relationship than quit on yourself. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you aren’t going to be able to find someone else who loves you as much as this person loves you. Don’t convince yourself that this is your only shot at love and if you walk away now you’re going to be alone forever. Don’t let yourself believe that the single life is any worse than a life where you’re pretending to be someone you’re not, where you’re ignoring your discomfort to try to keep the peace. Ending the wrong relationship isn’t something you should be embarrassed about doing. It’s a reason to be proud of yourself. You’re choosing the harder road. You’re deciding to do what is best for yourself instead of what will ruffle the least feathers. So many people remain in relationships that aren’t making them happy, but you are refusing to live a mediocre life. You know you deserve something extraordinary, so you’re taking a shot on yourself. You’re choosing to believe that something more beautiful is out there – and it is. Remember, it’s better to give up on your relationship than give up on yourself. You don’t want to assume this uncomfortable relationship is the best that you can get. You don’t want to assume that no one else would want you. You need to have more confidence in yourself. Settling means you don’t trust yourself to discover happiness on your own. It means you have more faith in this other person than you have in yourself. Stop selling yourself short. Stop assuming this life that isn’t even making you happy is the most you deserve. If you have to give up on your relationship, that’s fine, but don’t give up on yourself.