No, you don't have to keep giving to receive love, and I realized this way too late. I grew up being taught that love comes only after effort, performance, dedication and struggle. So I carried that belief into adulthood and wondered why relationships felt so exhausting for me. I couldn't accept the idea of someone loving me without a reason, so I pushed them away. Instead, I accepted people who wanted something from me, used me, and made me beg for affection. Because that kind of conditional love was the only version I ever knew, I confused it ith real love. But eventually I unlearned every lie I was told and the patterns that kept me trapped. I started with myself-by giving myself the love I deserved without guilt, pressure, or judgment. And once I accepted myself fully, I finally understood what real love should feel like.