"Why do I, and everyone I know pick people who treat us like we're nothing?"~Sam
"We accept the love we think we deserve"~Charlie
(The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky)
Reading this quote from one of my favorite novels made me feel like Stephen Chbosky peered into my inner soul and spoke the words I most needed to hear. Throughout my life I have constantly chosen to spend my time with people who do not deserve a millisecond of attention. In both friendships and relationships, I have chosen to give the most fragile pieces of my heart to those who have constantly treated me like a piece of disgusting bacteria growing on a stale piece of bread. The other day I was feeling worthless and vulnerable when I began truly mulling over this important thought of "accepting the love we think we deserve." I realized that through Charlie's letters, my eyes have been opened and I have learned the secret to pursuing worthwhile relationships: self worth.
I began asking myself a simple question. How do you REALLY view yourself? If I continue to see a withered, scarred, worthless reflection when I look in the mirror, how am I ever going to be satisfied with my earthly relationships. I realized that in order to view myself with the right mindset, and break the vicious cycle of choosing people who beat up on my self esteem, I accept how God views me as his precious child. He chooses to ignore the broken pieces of my inner self, and instead sees me as a precious treasure. God sees me as a beautiful creation, instead of an exhausted, worthless screw-up. The secret to establishing beneficial relationships is in changing how we view ourselves, and accepting the love we TRULY deserve.
