be your own hero

http://www.upworthy.com/somebody-looked-at-this-and-thought-it-was-ok-to-sell-what-on-earth-were-they-thinking-2

We'll call that my jumping off point. I saw this a couple of weeks back and wish I could say I was surprised that sexism is still rampant in this current age. But I'm just not. It comes in all shapes and forms and even the "nicest of guys" have their own medieval ideas about women. In it's basic, most innocent of forms is the "white knight". I cannot tell you how many guys I know that are always trying to save the women around them. Save them from a bad relationship, a crappy work situation, a disagreement with their mother, their own current bout of apathy or depression, their fears and inhibitions, and most importantly from themselves. Dearest of well-meaning gentlemen in the world, for the sake of my entire gender, please stop. 
I don't need to be rescued. When I was in a horrible relationship, it didn't matter what my friends and family and everyone around had to say about it, I left when I had learned what I needed to learn and I was ready to leave. Yes, my job situation is not currently ideal but they're flexible with my class schedule and my coworkers are all pleasant people so it works for now, I'll leave when it works best for me to do so. Yes, I suffer from severe depression and anxiety and a current case of occasionally debilitating heartbreak. Yes, sometimes I will stay in the house all weekend and only leave to walk the dog. All that means is that I know myself and sometimes I need to take that time to recharge and let the medications and sleep do their work. I don't need anyone to force me out of my comfort zone or support me so I can quit my job and find a new one or to tell me I deserve better. You have got to let people learn from their mistakes and take care of themselves.
And ladies, be your own hero. Find solutions to your own problems and learn to ask for help when you do need it. Most importantly, remember that the only life you have control over is your own. There are lots of silly cliches along the lines of "what goes around comes around" but that is not always the case. Sometimes you will work your ass off for years and never get any recognition. You can treat everyone around you with respect and a smile on your face and some of them will still talk about you behind your back. You can live your life doing your best to never intentionally hurt another person and being a good person and bad things will still happen to you. And you can love someone with everything that you have, they can be everything you ever wanted in a partner, you can take care of them, you can make sacrifices for them, you can look past their faults and appreciate their good qualities, and everything can look perfect on paper but you cannot make them love you back. Whether they are too scared to make the effort or just simply unwilling to give themselves back to you, there is nothing you can do to change that. Live your own life. Do the activities that make you happy, live with integrity, treat people the way you would like to be treated, and do not allow yourself to wait around for someone else to save you. Make good things happen for you and not for anyone else's benefit.