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Don't Shield Yourself Off

Why it is important to let yourself get hurt

Dec 26, 2016

"Why do you withdraw yourself? It just pushes people away." Yeah. Okay. Sure. It also protects you. By building up your walls, you keep yourself safe. By withdrawing yourself you are building up your walls so that you can keep people out and keep yourself safe.

Life throws things your way. Friends leave for one reason or another. Family can betray you. People leave and break promises, and it hurts like hell. So after so many times you build up your armor. You build your walls higher and higher each time you get hurt, to keep yourself safe.

People will tell you that you are driving others away, but if they haven't been hurt as much as you, they won't understand. No one truly understands until they experience the pain and endless heartache that comes from being the person that is easily forgotten. Being the friend that people always leave behind. It isn't easy, and it isn't fun.

Your walls keep you safe, by keeping others out. But that also means you are not experiencing things on the outside of the wall. But if you are hurt so much then it doesn't matter whats on the outside, what matters is that you're safe on the inside. Not getting hurt anymore.

However, there will be people who make it past your walls. Perhaps they climb your wall, or maybe they found a weak spot. Somehow they get past, and you set down your shield and take off your chainmail, and let yourself feel. Its hard not to feel terrified to let them in, but its good to let them see you and truly experience you.

But at the first sign of trouble, at the first glimpse of the inevitable end, those shields and walls come flying up. You start to feel as though you will be hurt again, so you defend yourself at full force. This may keep you from getting hurt, but it brings everything to a very sudden end.

It is very important to try to let yourself feel. Let people in, and don't shut them out. If you never want to get hurt again, are you ever going to feel anything again? You have to feel all emotions in order to feel anything at all. Don't live without emotions.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Don't Shield Yourself Off

Why it is important to let yourself get hurt

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The struggles of having an RBF are all too real

1. People asking if you're mad at them.

2. Those people who hand out flyers don't always try to stop you.

3. Creepy guys telling you to smile.

4. "I thought you were a bitch when I first met you."

5. People telling you you'd be "so much prettier if you smiled."

6. Doing your makeup and looking great, which somehow intensifies the bitch face.

7. Regularly explaining "it's just my face."

We all go through certain stages when we have a crush, Tina just explains it better.

That moment that someone you never looked twice at suddenly makes you do a double take out of no where.

But you can't have a crush, that's outrageous. It's all in your head.

Because you don't have a crush, there's no reason to tell anyone about anything. Right?

But then they do something irresistible and you start to lose it.

Now accepting the fact you have a crush, you have to keep it under control.

Then there's the part where you tell your friends who will claim they called it.

They'll be excited and cheer you on. That's until they realize that your crush is all you'll be talking about.

Your obsession has become so bad, that your Facebook stalking is getting out of control.

But your friends will try and help move things along any way they can. That doesn't mean it will be any helpful though.

As time goes on, you start having fantasies about the two of you and it's starting to scare you a little.

You can't focus on anything because all your attention is on them and everything they do.

Anybody who comes near your crush is now an enemy, and you are willing to fight for your crush.

When you see them, you act like an idiot. Trying to hide your feelings may not be as discrete as you think.

Keeping your feelings inside will start to be harder and harder until you can't keep it inside anymore.

Who knows, maybe it will work out? Take a chance.

Everybody hurts sometimes.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

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1. You feel like an elder.

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