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You are here: Home / 2014 / Archives for September 2014

Archives for September 2014

Breaking Free From the Emotionally Unavailable Man Who Won't Commit

187 Comments

A beautiful woman walks down a path with her suitcase symbolizing that she is breaking free from an emotionally unavailable man who won't commitIt's heartbreaking, frustrating and oh so damaging to our already fragile self-esteem.

This pattern, this cycle so many of us find ourselves in unable to break free of the cycle of attracting – and being attracted to emotionally unavailable men in our lives.

What keeps us going there?

Why can't we seem to see the warning signs – and heed them?

There's always something deeper, something more, that keeps us holding on and hanging on.

We've talked about the why so many times here before.

Most of us know in our minds that we're attracted to this type of man because of who and what they represent to us, usually someone reminiscent of our fathers or mothers or some combination of both.Continue Reading

Texting, Commitment and Sex

30 Comments

A beautiful woman holds her arms out with palms up, signifying that she has questions about texting, commitment and sex.One of our beautiful readers, who has called herself AV, sent me an email with several questions regarding texting vs. calling, how to know if he'll commit, and when to be intimate.

I've heard similar questions from so many of you at different times that I thought this would be a great chance to address each of these common topics in one post.

Her questions:

Hello Jane,

First of all I want to say that I love your articles!

I have some question about dating a new guy and I need your advice.

  1. What to do if he keeps texting and not calling? I mean if the communication is through messages and facebook. I thought of calling him back when he texts me to show him that I prefer calling but I never did it because I thought that maybe I disturb him. And maybe he feels the same I don't know. I don't want the texting to stop, I just want him to also call me.
  2. How can I test him somehow that he wants a relationship? And that he is not afraid of a committed relationship? We are dating for a month. I really like him. I am afraid because of other guys I was dating and who were very enthusiastic and then for some reasons they didn't feel like it. I never understood what made the process cold down.
  3. Can you give me general guidelines about sex? I want him but I am afraid. I don't want him to lose interest.

Thanks a lot in advance

AV

My Response:

Thank you, AV. I'm so glad you're getting so much out of my articles! Your questions are some of the same topics that come up so often in my coaching sessions and in the comments and letters I receive here, so I'm happy to answer them here for you.

1.) If he's only texting and not calling

The most important thing to remember when you're dating someone new, is that you really don't know him well enough yet to know if he is "all that". We can be so quick to put someone on a pedestal simply because of the potential we see in them, or some trigger they've set off in us – or because of an aloofness they give off that gives us the impression they can take or leave us. That's when we start to forget about what we bring to the table.

So when you say you thought of calling him back to let him know you prefer calling, but you didn't want to disturb him, think about that statement for a moment. What you're really saying here assumes that you could possibly disturb him and puts you in the position of deferring to him, instead of coming to this new relationship from a position of your own power. So I want to address this point as much as your actual question.

If he's only texting you and not doing any calling, there's a reason for this. It's because it's what's he comfortable with and it's what works for him. Most likely he's discovered that texting allows him to be more emotionally distant than calling, and that's why he's choosing to communicate this way with you at this point in your relationship.

It makes sense that you want to talk via phone instead, because it's hard to get to know someone solely through texting or social media.

There's only so much you can get a feel for someone without actually talking to them. And of course, he knows this, too. But if this is what's working for him and what he's comfortable with, then he has no reason to change this unless you let him know you'd like to talk to him over the phone by saying something like "I personally prefer getting to know someone over the phone as well as by text", and see if anything changes.

If he starts to call you, then you know that what you have to say - and your preferences – matter to him. If nothing changes, then you know what he prefers and now you have a better understanding of why this is.

It could also be the case that this is how he prefers to communicate only in the very beginning as he likes to take his time getting to know you better, and that he will begin to call you on his own as time goes by.

If he continues to only text you, then you can decide whether this is going to work for you going forward or not. When you can take your own time to get to know him and always remember in the back of your mind that this is the stage where all you're doing is deciding whether he's worth getting to know better, you'll have an easier time not jumping ahead of yourself before you really know who you're getting involved with.

This includes deciding if he is worthy of you and all you have to offer; not the other way around.

2.) How to "test" him

You don't ever need – or want - to "test" someone to see if they want to be in a relationship or a committed relationship. Time will always tell.

What you do want to do is take your time getting to know someone well enough so that you can observe who they are and what they're all about before jumping to any conclusions about them being the "one" for you.

This is where so many of us miss the perfect opportunity to really see if someone is consistent in their behavior and if they are really compatible with us in the ways that matter, because we get so caught up in the feelings they elicit in us that we focus on everything except the things that matter!

Like how they treat us, like how they treat others, like what their true character reveals about them, like how reliable and consistent their words are with their actions, and most of all, how emotionally available they are to have a relationship with you in the first place.

There is simply no substitute for time. Time always reveals someone's intentions, their true nature, and their very ability to be in a committed relationship if we allow that time to unfold naturally on its own. But so often we don't! Our impatience, our anxiety, our need to know gets the better of us and we want to know sooner, rather than later. So we push for more, we rush in, we give away far too much of our hearts and souls – not to mention our sacred bodies – to someone who should never be trusted with what we're so quick to entrust them with!

A final word on this one is that if you feel the need to "test" him, there's probably something you're picking up on that's giving you reason to feel that he might not commit that you need some kind of a test to know where he stands – because he's not giving you enough of himself to figure this out naturally. This is a huge red flag. With someone who's on your page, it will flow easily and you won't have to wonder; he'll want to make sure you know.

3.) What about sex?

And finally, what to do about the question of sex!

I'm so glad you brought this up, AV, because there are so many misconceptions around this subject. If/when, how soon, how to know if you're ready, how long to wait, and all those other questions we wonder about in this confusing time when we have every "right" to have sex as much and as often as we want, but when the repercussions of exercising that right are never what we're prepared for after the fact.

The reality is that we women are affected on a far deeper level than we ever think we're going to be when we give ourselves away sexually.

We may think it will bring us closer together; that it will take it out of the question and allow us to really get to know someone better, but it rarely works that way.

Too often, regardless of how we planned to handle the when and how, we get caught up in the moment and end up becoming more intimate than we ever intended to. And when we realize after the fact that we're not on the same page as we thought we were with someone and they are no longer as interested in us as they used to be, the way we treat ourselves, the way we beat ourselves up for not being stronger or waiting longer only makes us feel worse than we already do about ourselves.

The answer is to first get clear with yourself on what you can live with and what you can't and don't let anyone talk you into anything you're not sure about.

Wait as long as you need to know for sure that he's not just looking for sex from you. If you have any doubt at all that someone could lose interest in you because you've become intimate with them, don't go there. Any doubt.

This is where your gut instincts kick in. You need to be comfortable with having a conversation with him about birth control and STD protection because those are realities that are all too real. It's the loving thing to do to protect yourself, even if he isn't worried about these things.

Don't rush it.

When you wait instead until you've gotten to know someone well enough to know that he's on the same page as you – not just because he says he is or you want to believe he is, but because he shows you by his consistent actions and behavior over time that he is, you will be so much better off for waiting.

This isn't about what anyone else's timeline is; this is about you. And while I understand there are no guarantees that someone won't still surprise you after you've become intimate with him, the longer you wait, the more you get to know him better, the less chance there is of him only being out for one thing. Guys that are only looking for one thing don't last very long.

The bottom line, AV, is that if he really is all that, he won't balk at your slowing things down to take your time to get to know him better. He'll respect you more for it. Any other response will tell you everything else you need to know.

I hope this helps give you some clarity.

Love,

Jane

What do you have to add? These questions AV has asked about are some of the same ones so many of us struggle with. I'd love to hear your thoughts and what you've found to resonate with you in your own experiences. Share them with us here in the comments.

Don't Fight the "Going Through"

84 Comments

A beautiful woman looks out a window wondering why she is not strong.
Fighting it only hurts you more in the end.

We can almost sense when it's coming. We get that feeling. Then those awful thoughts start rushing in.

Not again. Not another disappointment. Not another ending. Not another heartbreak.

Not another "going through."

The signs are there, the red flags are waving in the sky, but we try so hard to will them away, to excuse them, to explain them, to pretend they're not really there.

The potential – his potential – is all we can see. We're blinded by it, no matter what anyone else says or what we know deep down in our hearts, we don't really want to see.

Why?

Because we know all too well what comes next.  That if we allow ourselves to see, then we have to make a decision. And if we have to make a decision, that means we have to choose between loving ourselves and loving someone else. And while that should be obvious, it's never, ever as easy as it seems.

Continue Reading

He Cheated On Me But I Don't Want Our Relationship to be Over

60 Comments

Man is cheating on his girlfriend texting the other woman while she sleeps in bed next to him.Our beautiful friend, Lola, has been with her boyfriend for 6 years, and he has cheated on her in the past. Now she thinks he is cheating on her again, and has confirmed that he's lying to her. She's wondering what to do from here.

Here's her story:

Hi Jane,

I have been seeing this man (we both are 47) for 6 yrs. There has been cheating on his part in the past. I took him back, did brief counseling but I still have difficulty with trust.

I recently met a woman who said she knew him and immediately my "spidey sense" was heightened. I discovered (by asking) that they have since made contact.....Here is the what happened last week. He & I got together on Thursday (because something going on Sat night) & I asked about this woman again. He told me he has no interest in her. We end our evening on a good note, positive.

Saturday evening comes around & I'm out with a girlfriend by his house. I call. He says not home (tells me not to come by) but I can tell that he is there. Then I see his garage door go up & this woman (the one asked about) is leaving getting in her car in the driveway.  He is in his car in the garage (I saw his back up lights come on).

I immediately called him and he did answer or respond to texts. I was furious and hurt.

I tried to contact him the next day and no response......it's been a week and I have not attempted to make contact with him.

He LIED to me, I hate myself because I love him.

Cheating on me again? What do I do?

Is over just like this after 6 yrs?

I keep thinking about it?

I know I overreacted when saw her leaving his house.....This can't be all my fault.

I don't want our relationship to be over.....

What do I do?

Attempt to contact him?

I'm a mess.......

Help.

Lola

My Response:

Dear Lola,

Of course you still have difficulty with trust; it's because he isn't giving you any reason to trust him. Of course you're looking for the positive notes to gauge where things stand; it's because you have little else to go on. Of course you found yourself by his house; it's because you know there's so much more to his explanations.

And of course you feel you overreacted when you saw another woman leaving his house; there's nothing we do so well as blame ourselves for what went wrong.

It's so hard to see this clearly right now from where you stand, Lola. And especially when you have so much time and energy invested in this man that you know things could be so different with, if only he could see this for himself.

But you've tried reaching out, and he hasn't responded. Not for a week.  He's cheated before, you say. You took him back - of course you did when we all want to believe in that beautiful romantic notion that love can conquer all – regardless of whether or not someone wants it to.  You tried counseling; because that's what we all do so well.

We keep trying, we keep working, we keep thinking it's got to change if we can only do that "one last thing" to turn this relationship around.

But how lonely to be doing this on your own! How beautiful a heart you have that you can give and love and forgive and take someone back like you have for the sake of that one word that means so much to us all – love.

Is it love, Lola? Is this love?  Is being treated like this love? Is putting yourself out there again and again to be subjected to this what you had in mind when you thought you were falling in love?  Is watching some other woman walking out of his house when he's blatantly lying to you, telling you he's not at home when you can see with your own eyes that that's exactly where he is – what you had in mind?

No matter how much of ourselves we've invested in someone, when we look at the reality of what we're getting from someone, of what we're not getting, of what someone isn't capable of giving us whether they're wounded from their own pasts or not, there comes a time when we can no longer keep this reality from speaking for itself.

And then it comes down to where it always does – to you.

And the one statement buried in your email to me that says more about what's really going on than anything else about him; I hate myself because I love him.

This is why only you can change this, Lola.

This is why you are as powerful as you are, no matter how much you can't see it right now. You know in your heart of hearts that this isn't loving to you.

You know you deserve better than this. You know you don't deserve to be treated like this. You don't love him; you love the idea of him. You love the way you've made him out to be in your own  mind that has nothing to do with the reality of who he is or what he can give you.

What are you really letting go of if you don't contact him again? What are you really losing if you set him free to live the life he so obviously wants to live? What are you gaining in return?

Self-respect.

The kind that matters more than any other kind. The kind that turns into a higher self-esteem and more self-confidence than you're living with right now.  The only kind worth having when you know you've done the most loving, compassionate thing you can do for yourself. The kind that realizes you're worth more than what you've been trying to convince yourself is the best you're going to get.

You're the loving kind, Lola; not the begging kind. And this self-loathing, self-hatred is a sign that something needs to change. We can't treat ourselves like this and still love ourselves.

If you're not enough to turn this around, why is he enough for you?

If you can relate to what's Lola's going through, I'd love to hear from you. And so would she. Share your thoughts with her in the comments.

The Greatest Lesson I've Ever Learned

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A beautiful woman is smiling and happy because she loves herself and is confident.There’s one thing I've learned along this journey that has had a greater impact on me than any other lesson I've learned (and oh how many there have been!) It’s the one that hits me at my most vulnerable place of all, in my aloneness.

Because I've always felt so alone.

I've always felt so different on the inside, so unlovable because I wasn't just like everyone else. And while I played the part so well on the outside, inside there was such a different story going on. Inside I was the one who didn't quite fit in – anywhere. I always felt like I was on the outside looking in.

Surrounded by so much pressure to conform in order to be loved, I learned to play the part well, while internalizing so much of what went unsaid; I was different in a world where different wasn't a valuable asset, but something to be changed, to be shamed away, to be shut down and shut out. It didn't matter whether that was the intention or not, that was my own lonely reality.

And so in my epic search to find a cure for my loneliness, although I wouldn't come to boil it down to that until many, many years later, I was always chasing after the ones who made me feel less alone. The ones who were different, the ones who blazed their own trails and didn't care what anyone – including me – thought.Continue Reading

Should I Move Out?

57 Comments

A beautiful woman sits at a table wondering if she should move out while her boyfriend watches tvOne of our new beautiful readers, Kirsty, has been living with her boyfriend for a few years, but has found that things have changed, he won't commit, and he's becoming emotionally distant.

Here's her story:

Hi,

Firstly I want to say how great this website is and how glad I am to have found it. I feel like I cant talk to anyone about my problem so I shall ask you.

I am 42 and I started dating my bf a few years ago, previous to this I had been single for 6 years.  A year ago I moved into his house and gave up mine. At the time I was very unsure but I felt it a good opportunity and so I jumped.

He has always told me he doesn't want to be tied to the hip or married but that I would always have a home here. In the beginning we went away for weekends and did fun things. Since living with him, we haven't done anything. When I ask for us to do something he always says "I don't know what I'm doing"!

He cant make plans for us but he can for his interests.

I now do things like sports and seeing family and friends on my own because he doesn't want to come and I seem to be doing everything on my own now. He has never said he loves me and the love care and affection is very scarce now.

He is happy working and sitting in front of the box every night. When I ask him to do something he always says no. Just lately I seem to be more hurt and angry with him than I do having fun with him.

I feel like a lodger who gets a daily kiss in the morning and in bed. I have told him this and he says if you are unhappy then you have to do something about it. When I ask for cuddles he gets funny but he wants to cuddle me at night.

I feel so confused, because I really love him and love to kiss and hug him, but I have pulled back and he doesn't come forth with the affection. The other day I said I couldn't cope anymore and that I was looking for another place to live but if we can work it out I would stay. He said "I don't work at things, they're either good or not".

I feel sad and lonely and think why am I here when I do everything alone and we have no future plans or goals we are working towards. I have been a bit depressed.

I suppose my question is does anyone understand what's going on here? Do I move out? Communication is an issue somewhat as he just kills it by saying its up to you, or I don't work on things.

Please help

- Kirsty

My Response:

Thank you for your kind words, Kirsty, and welcome!  I’m so glad you've found your way here!

Whenever you’re not sure about what to do in a given situation, I've always found two things to be very helpful.

The first is that if you imagine your best friend is telling you about her own situation, and the story is exactly the same as what you just told me - what would your advice to her be?  Your response to her will give you an outside perspective into what your own answer is for you.

What would you say to her?

What would you want her to see that she's not currently seeing?

How would you see her situation from a different point of view?

The second is that you can’t go wrong by doing what gives you the greatest sense of peace and calm with the least amount of regret. Would moving out give you that? Would you feel you didn't try hard enough? Or would you feel some relief after the initial shock of such a move?

Would you regret that you didn't keep asking, keep trying something different to elicit a different reaction? Or do you know deep down in your heart of hearts that you've tried everything – and then some – to try to turn things around?

There’s a reason we have such a hard time seeing our own answers clearly for ourselves; so often we don’t really want to see it for what it is. We hold tight to our subconscious belief systems – our programming – that tells us we don’t deserve better or we should be happy to have it as good as we do, or any other number of stories we buy into without even realizing this is what we’re doing.

Whether it’s someone else’s voice or our own, we hear the same words:

A relationship is work and you have to work for it to make it work. You’re expecting too much. He’s a man; what do you expect? Do you think it’s always going to be easy? What’s wrong with you?

The list of all the  things we believe about ourselves and our relationships goes on and on if we are open enough to going beneath the surface and seeing what’s really behind why we settle for the things we do.

What’s going on is so clear from here, Kirsty. But when you’re in it like you are, it never is.

Reread what you've written to me, paying close attention to what you've said about his responses, his words. You've got your answers, Kirsty.

From the time he first told you he “doesn't want to be tied to the hip or married”. From the way he can make plans for his own interests, but not for the two of you. From his answer to you that he “doesn't work on things. They’re either good or not”.  From the way he puts it on you, “If you are unhappy, then you have to do something about it.”

It’s all there.

Where he stands and where he doesn't. Where you stand on his list of priorities, and where you don’t. His activities motivate him, but not you.

It’s not surprising you’re sad and lonely and “wondering why you’re here.” It’s because you’re not there.  He’s not there. You’re alone. It’s a paradox. You’re there in person, but you’re not there in all the ways that matter.  You've pulled back and what did he do? Did he fill in that space and come closer? Or was he content to keep that space you created? It’s how you know what’s really there even if the words don’t convince you. It’s what he does.

Don’t accept these crumbs you’re being thrown anymore, Kirsty. Don’t keep asking someone who always says “no”. Don’t ask for cuddles, affection, love or attention from someone who you have ask these things of in the first place.

The only confusion here is that you don’t see what you’re doing to yourself by putting yourself through this and calling it love.  Somehow, somewhere along the way, you've forgotten who you are and what you deserve.

You've replaced living with settling and loving with loathing – yourself. Don’t call this love. Don’t allow your beautiful ,  loving heart and soul to be a part of living and loving this way with someone so incapable of giving you what you deserve.

Yes, choose you. Yes, you absolutely deserve to be loved and this is absolutely not anything remotely resembling love. Ask yourself these questions - you know what the answers are.

Don’t do it for me or for anyone else, do it for you!

I know you can relate on some level to what Kirsty’s going through. She’s not alone. And neither are you. Kirsty would love to have your support and encouragement, too. Please give her your thoughts on her situation here in the comments. Thank you.

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About Jane Garapick

Hi, I'm Jane Garapick. I'm here to provide inspiration, support and empowerment on the journey to true love. I know what it’s like to have a broken heart, a broken dream, and a broken you. And I know for a fact, that your dreams can still come true! Read more...
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