I hate to give up on our relationship, but to stay feels like giving up on my dreams.

To walk away from what we hoped — and promised — would last forever is one of the most heart-wrenching breaks we can make. It feels as though we’re cutting off a piece of ourselves … and we struggle desperately to decide if it’s right and if it’s necessary.

How do we know?

Ask yourself: What would I do if I weren’t afraid? Will I be better off next week, next month and next year if I stay?

Don’t kid yourself. You don’t really want to feed your fear. And if staying doesn’t serve you, it doesn’t serve your partner either. It’s arrogant to think that a partner needs your pity. He needs love; he doesn’t have to get it from you.

Don’t give up on yourself and don’t give up on your partner, either. If you’re both better off without each other, then give up on the relationship and save yourselves.

Your dreams are a reflection of who you are, or at least they should be. If they’re obsolete, change them. Base them on what you want — not on what somebody else wants for you or what society expects.… More

If you want a “better” relationship, ask yourself how responsible and loving you’ve been in the relationship you have. It’s like wanting a bigger house or a better job, you have to be faithful with little before you are rewarded with much. May we learn from what we already have, allowing it to prepare us for “more.”… More

And the quality of our love is the quality of our love for everybody–not one special somebody. … More