How many times have you looked back at a relationship and thought, “I knew better”?

You felt the red flags, heard the inner voice whispering, this isn’t it, and still… you stayed. You settled. You shrank.

But here’s the truth: you’re not alone, and you don’t have to keep repeating the pattern.

The Cycle: Familiar But Not Fulfilling

We often recreate what’s familiar, even when it’s unhealthy. Maybe you grew up watching love that came with conditions or chaos. Maybe your past taught you that your needs came second, or that being chosen, even halfway, was better than being alone.

But the cost of staying in these cycles is steep:

• You lose connection with your intuition.

• You forget how to be your own best friend.

• You stop believing you deserve more.

Choosing Yourself Isn’t Selfish — It’s Survival

There comes a moment maybe this is yours, when you realize that putting yourself last has only led to pain, exhaustion, and resentment.

That moment is your wake-up call.

Choosing yourself means:

• Saying no when it’s not aligned.

• Taking your time before committing.

• Refusing to explain or shrink your standards.

• Recognizing that peace is more powerful than attention.

You don’t need to wait until you’re broken to decide you’re worthy of more.

Stop Settling — Start Creating

Settling doesn’t always look like disaster. Sometimes it looks like “almost,” “it’s fine,” or “maybe it’ll change.” But you weren’t created for almost. You were built for a love that honors your wholeness, not one that feeds on your fear of being alone.

The right relationship won’t require you to betray yourself. The right love won’t ask you to prove your worth. And that kind of relationship? It starts when you have one, with yourself.

Break the Pattern. Reclaim Your Power.

If you’re reading this and you feel that tug in your chest, that’s your inner self calling you home. You get to rewrite the story. You get to set new standards. You get to believe that choosing you is the beginning of everything good. So let this be the season you stop settling. Let this be the chapter where you stop waiting to be chosen and start choosing yourself, every single day.

Because when you stop accepting less, something beautiful happens:

More finds you.

The right one finds you.

You find you.

-🦩