Title: How to Be Loved Without Losing Yourself
Author: Avery Saint James
Section: Love & Relationships
I used to think love was sacrifice — the more you gave up, the more it meant.
But somewhere between heartbreak and healing, I learned:
The right love doesn’t ask you to shrink.
Too many of us are taught to twist ourselves to fit someone else’s needs. To earn love through overgiving. But let me say this plainly —
you don’t have to disappear to be desired.
Healthy love holds space for your voice.
It honors your no.
It supports your dreams.
If you’re bending into someone who refuses to bend with you, you’re not in partnership — you’re in performance.
Here’s how to love without losing yourself:
- Speak up, even when your voice shakes.
- Date your own soul before sharing it.
- Don’t confuse drama for depth. Some of us are just addicted to chaos.
Real love — steady, rooted love — is possible.
But only when you show up as your whole self.
You are not too much. You are just enough for the right person.
Start with you. Fall for you. Choose you — first.
— Avery Saint James, Love & Relationship Contributor
