As I move through the changing landscapes of my life, I keep returning to a quiet, steady truth: every relationship I hold—family, friendship, partnership, creative collaboration, or community—shapes the texture of my inner world. Each bond carries its own gravity, its own influence, its own invitation to grow.

Over the years, I’ve learned that the wisdom in don’t invest in someone who doesn’t invest in you is not sharp or defensive. It is tender. It is clarifying. It is the kind of truth that arrives when I finally listen to what my own energy has been trying to tell me.

I’ve known relationships where I was the one who kept the flame alive—where the conversations moved because I pushed them forward, where the care flowed mostly in one direction, where my presence was offered but not truly met. These moments didn’t make me naïve; they revealed how deeply I wanted connection to flourish.

But I’ve also learned that reciprocity is the heartbeat of healthy relationships. Every connection breathes through mutual presence, shared responsibility, and a willingness to meet each other with honesty. When that balance fades, I feel it. Something in me strains to compensate, and I start shrinking to maintain what no longer has the structure to stand.

Choosing not to invest in places that do not nourish me is not an act of rejection. It is an act of restoration. It is me returning to the centre of my own field, gathering back the energy I scattered in hope, and honouring the truth that my care is a precious resource—not something to be spent in silence.

And when I honour that truth, my world shifts. Space opens. My breath deepens. I find myself drawn into relationships—of every kind—that meet me with readiness and respect. People appear who show up without prompting, who hold their part of the bridge, who recognise that connection is something we build together.

This clarity doesn’t close my heart; it refines it. It guides me to place my energy where it can echo and expand. It reminds me that I am at my best when I’m in relationships that understand the value of mutual investment.

Because when the exchange becomes balanced and alive, every connection—family, friendship, love, or creative partnership—becomes a vessel for evolution.

And in that mutual field, we rise.

Heart to Heart, Elizabeth