me accepting less.
Most importantly, I stopped staying in situations that cost me more than they gave.
Walking away didn’t mean I stopped caring.
It meant I finally included myself among the people I was willing to protect.
Once that happened, I couldn’t return to the old version of myself.
I saw things differently.
Moved differently.
Chose differently.
And yes, life became quieter.
Some relationships don’t survive when the person who always gives starts requiring balance.
Those relationships fall away.
Not necessarily because you pushed them away.
Sometimes because they
