You break your own heart when you make someone more important to you than you are to them. It doesn't happen suddenly. It starts with small compromises — putting their needs above yours, ignoring your own boundaries, excusing their silence, and overvaluing their presence. You begin to shrink just to fit into their world, hoping they'll notice, hoping they'll match your effort someday. But the truth is, people show you where you stand — not through words, but through consistency. And when you keep investing where you're not equally valued, the pain isn't just about them.. it's about losing yourself in the process. Loving someone should never cost you your self-respect. Care deeply, but not at the expense of your own worth. The moment you start choosing yourself with the same intensity, things become clearer. Either they rise to meet you, or you finally walk away from what was never truly meeting you.