Love comes with a lot of risks. You could love someone who does not love you back, or worse, someone who would pretend like they do when they, in fact, do not.

Relationships are just as uneasy to predict. You really could be in a relationship with someone who would go on to f*** you over and treat you really badly.

What’s more, the cycle could be a repetitive one, a loop of hurtful emotions and horrible boyfriends and girlfriends making you become numb to feelings and scared of putting yourself out there and giving you all ever again.

No matter what has happened and what you have seen, here are 5 things you should not be too scared to give in a relationship:

1. Trust

Sounds simple enough, right? But people who have been in previous bad relationships do not always consider it to be so. And you can’t blame them for being that way. You know what they say: once beaten, twice shy.

Trusting when you have suffered for it in the past is a difficult thing. Regardless, it’s impossible to say you are in love with someone and in a relationship with them without having a healthy dose of trust in them.

You’d be better single than in a relationship with an intent to be distrustful. No relationship thrives that way.

2. Love

Of course, what is the point of being in a relationship with someone you do not love? Sounds implausible, too, until you consider the fact that people have been motivated to get into relationships and marriages for reasons that have nothing to do with love, affection, or anything of the sort.

But that’s really not the way to go about this relationship thing. You are better off without a partner than with someone you do not love, or worse, you have no intention of trying to love.

3. Share

A relationship ALWAYS has elements of sharing and it is one of the things you cannot afford to ignore or be too scared to do.

When you’re with someone, you share with them. And this is not all about material things or limited to just it.

4. Go all the way

You should be willing to go all the way with them if you claim to love them. It’s really as simple as that.

5. Effort

It is all that matters most. You either have a willingness to ride hard for someone or don’t bother with it.

Sure, it might take time before you get there, especially if your past experiences justify your slow journey to being completely free and comfortable with putting in max effort into the relationship.

Still, that effort has to be visible all through the process because the effort is everything.