Me, Myself, and I

A four letter word we hear so often: love. Such a simple word, yet it withholds so much meaning. It's the one thing everyone wants and often the one thing people deem to be more important than anything else. Although love brings happiness, it also comes with bad experiences which you can either let break you or make you. For this simple fact, I believe that the best thing, as well as the most necessary thing, is to love yourself before you search for love in others.
I've always been the type of person to keep just a select few close relationships. I've seemed to confide in one best friend throughout the years. Due to this, I guess you could say I've never been part of the "popular" crowd since quality is more important to me than quantity. Yet it doesn't bother me one bit, since trust is one of my most powerful possessions. It's not an easy thing to gain from me because of the negative experiences I've been through. The only person I can absolutely trust, without a doubt, is myself.
When you give your love to someone else, you are letting your guards down, allowing that person to have the power to hurt you. Unless you feel completely comfortable with this person and you've established a strong relationship with one another, it is better for one to keep their guards up, in a sense. Instead of making yourself vulnerable, it is wiser to remain independent. Just by saying "I love you," they can take your kindness for weakness and stab you in the back.
I'm not saying that one should never love, but instead I'm expressing that love takes time and patience. You must let it come to you, not chase it. Don't rush things and assume what you're feeling is love. Ultimately, you are the only one who has absolute control over your own happiness.
Although it may sound vain, loving yourself first is the basic requirement before being able to love another.