5 Reasons All Relationships Should Be Mutually Beneficial

As a 21-year-old woman with a lot left to learn, I can say with confidence the one thing I'm sure about is it's absolutely vital to focus your time only on the things that truly matter.

As clichéd as it may sound, life really is too short for anything that isn't beneficial to you.

Choosing to focus your time and energy into doing things that will better you and your future is the key to success.

We're often led to believe we should spend our time trying to make those around us happy.

While this may hold true, it's absolutely essential to ensure you don't lose sense of your own happiness in the process.

Healthy relationships are built off of individuals who work to better themselves and encourage each other to grow.

Make a conscious effort to have people in your life who inspire your journey, no matter how different it may be from theirs.

1. Focusing on people who don't want to see you happy is a complete and utter waste of time.

It's an age-old adage, but it proves true time and time again.

You can’t make yourself unhappy by trying to keep those around you happy.

Eliminating toxic people from your life is the smartest decision you can ever make, and you should always remind yourself it's more than okay to be picky about the people you allow into your life.

Focus more on the quality than the quantity.

Know the difference between the friends who will go out and party with you on a Friday night and the friends who will spend all day Saturday with you sitting on your couch, binge-watching Netflix, consuming far too many calories and having heart-to-hearts.

You'll come to find it's the latter who care about your well-being and want nothing more than to see you happy.

2. You need to be surrounded by people who are excited about life.

Life becomes significantly better when you choose to do things with people who embrace vitality and live their lives to the fullest.

You may think you enjoy the time you spend with that crazy friend with whom you get a little too drunk, but contrary to popular belief, there are far better ways to spend your time.

Pay more attention to the friend who keeps tabs on how you're doing and who's willing to do his or her part to better your relationship.

3. One-sided relationships will get you absolutely nowhere.

This is something we're all guilty of.

Too often, we find ourselves staying in relationships with people we know aren't right for us, simply because we don't want to be alone.

Whether it’s a romantic relationship or just a friendship, you can't give your all to someone who isn't willing to do the same in return.

The truth of the matter is, you can't make people care about something they just don't care about.

It’s just like they always say: You could be the ripest peach in the world, but there's always going to be someone who hates peaches.

One thing I can promise you is the fact nothing is more satisfying than moving on from someone who gave you less than you deserve.

4. Don't waste your time on relationships that don't make you feel fulfilled.

Write this down, remember it and replay it in your mind every single day.

It's more than okay to be selfish about how you spend your time and with whom you spend it.

If you find you're putting forth all of your effort and doing everything in your power to keep someone else happy, it’s time to reassess.

I've spent so much valuable time on people who didn't care for a second of it.

It wasn’t until recently that I vowed to only dedicate my time and energy to people who would be willing to do the same for me.

If your relationship is a whole lot of give and no take, it’s crucial to realize you'd be better off just calling it quits.

5. Know your worth, and don't settle for less than you deserve.

Although we may have a difficult time coming to terms with the fact the one we want isn't always the one we need, it’s a concept we must grasp.

The day you recognize you're worthy of being treated well is the day you decide you will no longer accept anything short of just that.

When you find you're constantly treating others better than you are being treated, it’s time to cut those toxic people out of your life.

Immerse yourself in the things that will bring you joy.

After countless one-sided relationships and several attempts at making things work with people who frankly didn't care whether or not they worked, I'm finally starting to learn this.

At the end of the day, we're each given one life to live.

Make yours one you can enjoy in the company of those who enjoy your company.

There’s no room for growth unless we cut out all the extra baggage in our lives.

My lesson to you is this piece of advice: You owe it to yourself to be selfish and picky with your time.

You’ll thank me later.