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

Archives for October 2014

I Don't Know What Went Wrong

17 Comments

A beautiful woman in a black dress is upset, holding her head, wondering what she did wrong to make her boyfriend leave her.One of our beautiful readers, Tulip, was in a short relationship that seemed to be going really well, then he suddenly become emotionally distant and broke it off. She's wondering what went wrong.

Here's her email:

Hi Jane.

Just recently I have broken up with my boyfriend of a year and a half.

He was a total jerk to me.

Never had the time to come see me when he had time (we lived two hours away from each other) and never wanted to talk on the phone with me. Although a year and a half may not seem long to some people, but it's my longest and you can say, I loved him.

But he just wasn't that committed to this relationship and it was hard for me to break up with him and let go because I will be the one that hurts more and knowing that it won't startle him a bit if we break up, just makes me so angry and sad that I continue to make myself miserable by staying with him.

It wasn't until I met another guy that made me realize I had so much more potential by myself than I ever will with my boyfriend at the time.

This new guy, let's call him Tinman, made me laugh, interacted with me and told me about all his adventures that he has had (note: I'm 21 and Tinman is 27) and it made me want to be a part of his life.

After talking to Tinman for about a week, I became strong enough to let go of my boyfriend.

After that, Tinman and I became closer and talked more often learning about each other's experiences. Tinman is a very outgoing person, loved being near the river and loved nature. I thought maybe this person and I might work out since we had a lot of things in common and Tinman agreed.

Actually he was the first one that said to me that we have a lot of things in common.

Three weeks pass and we're still talking like how we did when we first met (just a little bit more comfortable now) and he, being Asian, has never dated an Asian girl before and me, being a particular Asian, has never dated anyone out of my own ethnicity before. He asked if I would like to give this a try.

But because of our age difference, I asked him if he thinks I am too childish for him. What he said next really took my heart, "I think you have a long journey and many things to see. I can help you with that."

This is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.

His response let me know that maybe we might work out. One night we went to hang out at his place and he kissed me but I stopped him and said that we should take time in this relationship because I really like him a lot and I don't want to ruin anything.

He agreed and said the same thing back.

We continued to text each other for the next two days and make jokes around with each other. But the second night that we hung out at his place, he leaned in to kiss me again but I stopped him, said a stupid joke that the last time he kissed me, it was my first kiss.

His response was, "really?"

I laughed and told him it was a joke and after that, he just stopped interacting with me and stopped being interested in what I have to say. When I got home that night, I asked him if I did anything wrong, he said I didn't do anything wrong and enjoyed my company.

The next day, he didn't text me back like how he usually would and I had a feeling it was about last night. So, I text him how he felt about last night and he said that he talked to his friend earlier the other day and she suggested him that he should date someone his own age and he text me that he agrees with her, then told me we should just be friends.

I asked him if he took me as a joke from the beginning. He replied, "No. I thought this was going somewhere, but every time we hangout, there is a misconnection. I don't know what it is".

And I told him that it was fun hanging out with him and told him that he made me realize that I have so much more potential by myself than I ever will. His last text was, "it was fun hanging out with you".

I don't know what went wrong.

I feel very bad and I am so bummed out because I really like him and although we have been only talking and hanging out with each other for three weeks, I felt that I have shared so many moments with him. I can't stop thinking about Tinman and I really want to text him back but I feel like it would make me look desperate.

I hate myself for making that stupid joke and I keep on wondering how things would've went if I had just let him kiss me. I have a bunch of questions in my head of why he had the sudden change of heart.

Did I not seem as easy as I did? Was he lying about not taking me as a joke? I don't know.

I just wish I can go back in time and change what I did that night. I really like him a lot. Now my days are just miserable. I try to do other things that will occupy my mind but almost everything I do, reminds me of him and the three weeks we shared together.

What do you think about this situation Jane? I would love to hear your thoughts and advice.

Thanks for your time.

- Tulip

My Response:

Don't look back, Tulip.

For all the regrets you have for what you wish you had done differently, there are so many other possible scenarios that could have resulted from you doing everything the way you wanted to.

The fact of the matter is you were yourself.

You said what you felt you wanted to say at that moment in time.

You did what you thought you wanted to do at that same moment.

You acted the way that came most naturally to you.

And yet because it's gone, because he's gone, you've turned on the one person who it's so easy to blame here; you. You beat yourself up over and over again for being who you were at that time.

There's no one who's as harsh with yourself here as you!

But there's a reason these things happen. Our true selves can never hide themselves for very long. It wasn't just about anything that happened that one night; it was about the bigger picture that came through to him that was about him and not you.

Don't look back at the fairy tale version of what you believe things would have looked like, Tulip.

You have absolutely no way of knowing how things with him would have gone if you only done or said what you wish you had done instead that night you're putting everything on.

You did the best you could with what you knew at the time!

And if he was right for you, if you were both on the same page, what you said or didn't say or did or didn't do that night would never have been a deal breaker for him. But by the time it came to you, you can know that this is what you actually want, no matter how much you fight it and want it to be different.

That's how you find your peace in acceptance. It begins with you.

By accepting yourself for who you are and where you're at, regardless of what that looks like in someone else's eyes. You didn't do anything wrong.

Whatever you did, whatever you didn't do, even if it wasn't what you would normally do, in that moment you were being yourself.

Look past your own vision and accept and trust that there's someone or something bigger than yourself out there that knows better what you need, then you can accept that you actually did yourself the biggest favor ever.

By being who you are in that moment, no matter what that looked like, you brought about what you actually wanted in the long run.

People come into our lives for a reason, no matter how difficult it is to accept this or see it for ourselves when we're struggling with our own definition of what that reason is. You don't have to know what it is, you only need to believe that there is one.

Could it be he gave you the courage to let go of the previous man in your life? Can you let it be enough that, as you say, "… he made me realize that I have so much more potential by myself than I ever will"?

You can never ruin something unless someone is willing to let it be ruined.

But the greatest lesson in this, Tulip, is recognizing that these types of experiences that we're so quick to label as rejections of our beautiful hearts are never as they appear.

Don't give him so much of your power. If it's meant to be, it will be; either because of you or in spite of you. You can't mess up something that both people don’t want to mess up!

This living and loving has to be with someone who is on the same page with you, who wants the same thing you want with you and who's willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen!

Don't ever settle for anything less than that no matter how much potential you see in someone or what emotions they trigger in you. Love is never miserable, it never hurts, it never has you beating yourself up over it.

If you ever feel any of that, don't call it love.

I hope this helps give you an outside perspective, Tulip.

Love,

Jane

This feeling of regret for what could have been is so common for so many of us. Do you have anything to tell Tulip from your own personal experience? Please share your thoughts with her in the comments.

What Is It About Him?

45 Comments

A beautiful woman is looking at her boyfriend with love wondering what is it about him?There's a reason you choose who you do. You know this all too well, even if you don't understand what that reason is. You're the first to admit that not just anyone will do; there has to be something that sets the one apart who's going to get a second glance from you.

And that something is always more about you than him.

There's some unmet need you have deep down inside you that's looking to be met in this person your radar has honed in on. It's rarely about anything as simple as a look. No, it runs so much deeper than this. More often than not, it's an attitude that comes through more clearly and more seductively than anything else you can put your finger on.

But why now? What is it about him?

This is your work, not his. To discover what exactly "it" is so that you are no longer powerless. How can you own your own power when someone who comes along like this can have so much power over you?

You see, I understand all too well what you mean when you say he's like no one else you've ever met before. I understand why it can feel so different, and seem like this time, it's going to be the real thing, despite all practical and logical reasons to the contrary.

Because when it's a need deep within ourselves we're subconsciously trying to fill, it takes on a life of its own.

There is no logic.

There is no practical reality of what is. There is only potential. There is only what if. There is only "but this time he's going to be different."

Because this is what you so want to believe. It's what it just has to be. And so, it's what you will make it out to be.

Your work begins and ends with you, not anyone outside of yourself, and especially not anything he can do for you. So what is it about him that keeps you coming back for more? What is it about him that makes you feel like you can't live without him, that he's your very lifeblood and without him you can't make it on your own? These are just feelings after all. They're the very stories we've bought into and told ourselves so many times that they've become our very reality regardless of the truth.

Of course you can live without him. Of course you don't need anyone outside of yourself. But when it feels like it does, and  your own inner longing is what it is, there's no fighting this feeling that consumes you.

Unless you know the truth.

The truth that comes from accepting and loving yourself wherever you are, whatever that looks like right now.

The truth that comes from being compassionate with yourself for what you thought you should have learned by now.

The truth that comes from allowing yourself to be exactly who you are, however flawed, however imperfect that might look like to you from where you stand with such standards of perfection you hold for yourself.

There's no one who does this to you like you do!

But instead of using these imperfections as one more thing to beat yourself up about, it's time to do something so different.

Find out what that little girl inside you needs to fill her cup full.

Find out what she's missing that makes her hold on so tightly to someone who isn't right for her.

Find out why she feels the need to be with someone who can't give her what she's looking for.

But don't stop there. It's never enough to only understand why. "Why" is a springboard to build from to do our work to find out what we need to know that we can' t yet see for ourselves.

We have to be willing to do something about it. We have to be willing to grow ourselves, to stretch, to be open to seeing what this new knowledge and these new ways of seeing can do for us. To letting go of something or someone that's hurting us, of giving someone a second look who we might have overlooked before.

It's what we do with all we're learning that makes the greatest difference in what we find, in what we're seeing, not just what we're coming to see!

Don't accept anything less than being happy, not just feeling a familiar feeling that in your heart of hearts isn't what you know this life is meant to be.

It's your beautiful life. It's your time to live it the way life is meant to be. Don't make it about any him; make it about you!

How about you? What are your reasons for holding on so tightly to what isn't working? Know that you're not alone and there's absolutely nothing wrong with you! I'd love to hear your story. Please share it with us in the comments.

Should I Just Move On?

51 Comments

A beautiful woman sits near her emotionally distant boyfriend looking sad as she wonders if she should just move on.One of our dear readers (who has asked to remain anonymous, so I've chosen to call her "Flower") has a boyfriend who is very loving and caring one moment, then suddenly becomes emotionally distant.

She's wondering if she should move on, or if there's something she can do that will make him want to be with her.

Here's her story:

I have been dating this guy for two years, today is actually our anniversary, which he has not mentioned at all whatsoever.

As soon as I tell you all this you are going to say 'dump him & move on' but I just can't.

Sometimes I want to, but other times I look at him and think of all the good parts of our relationship & I just can't.

When things are good they are great, like amazing, he's caring and loving and all that. But he grows very distant for at least a week once a month.

During these times he claims we spend too much time together and he just wants to be free, when in reality we only spend weekends together and he doesn't even have many friends anymore to hang out with.

He claims we are too close and he doesn't want to settle down (and I'm not ready for that either, but I like the idea of having a future with him). So I give him a week away, although it kills me and sometimes I may still bother him, but in any case, he comes running back saying he missed me and acts like nothing is wrong.

I am always there for him, but he is not always there for me back, because we get too close and he gets scared.

I was reading before about how their relationship with their dad are a big factor, and his dad abandoned him when he was like 5 and they haven't spoken since he was 13.

He doesn't ever buy me little things to show he was thinking of me and it's not like I ask for much. He doesn't tell me that he loves me, I think he said it to me 4 times in our whole two years, because he keeps comparing me to old relationships.

We work together now too and all he wants to do is talk business, and I don't want to be all business.

How do I change that?

There is so much more to say, but I could go on for days. Basically, I love him and I want him to be the one because I think he can be if he just lets me in.

So what can I do to make him let me in and want to be with me?

Or should I just move on and if it's meant to be it will be?

My Response:

Dear Flower,

It's never as simple as "dump him & move on" when it's your relationship you're talking about. Our feelings run so deep, our expectations are so wrapped up in the time we've invested in someone, that of course you need something more than just those words that are easy for someone else to say who hasn't walked in your shoes.

You want to know there's some other way.

And there is.

You take back your own power before you give him or your relationship one more thought.

How do you do this?

You accept the reality of what is, of who he is, of how he treats you, of his need for space. You accept that you can't change him by trying to show him your worth, by playing games with him, or by trying to convince him of anything that he doesn't come to on his own.

You accept that the only person you can change is yourself and because of that, you are the one who is completely in control of this relationship, no matter how much it seems that he holds the cards.

He doesn't. You do.

And from this place of acceptance that you can only change yourself and not him, you ask yourself what you it is you really want. What is he worth to you? What is being with him - having in your life on his own terms that he has clearly defined for you – worth to you versus having everything you want from someone who can give it to you but isn't him, worth to you?

  • Can you live with his need for space and the high value he places on his own freedom?
  • Can you live with him not buying you small tokens that you equate with him showing he's thinking of you?
  • Can you live with him only telling you he loves you 4 times in the whole two years you've been together?
  • Can you live with being compared to his other relationships?
  • Can you live with rarely talking about what you want to talk about instead of what he wants to talk about?
  • Can you live with all the things you say you could go on and on about for days?

Because this is the point. You say you love him. But what really do you love about him? What does that really mean when you look at what you're getting from him and what you're longing for from him? How do you reconcile the two?

This is the reality that we fight so hard in the name of what we call love.

It's not about you wanting him to be the one "because I think he can be if he just lets me in." That's such a huge "if" that has everything to do with him and nothing to do with you. We can waste away so much of our beautiful lives waiting for that if only moment that so rarely ever comes and at such a great expense to our own self-esteem and self-confidence.

So, you ask, "what can I do to make him let me in and want to be with me? Or should I just move on and if its meant to be it will be?"

Focus on you, Flower.

Create your own life despite what he does or doesn't do. Decide what you can live with and don't worry about how much time you've already invested in him or what anyone else will think.

You only answer to you. If it's space he wants, holding on tighter to him or becoming more demanding of him or resenting him for being himself isn't going to help. It isn't going to change him. You have to do what you need to do for you. If you choose to move on, if it's meant to be it absolutely will be.

But you can't be the only one who wants this. What's meant to be comes about because of two people who are on the same page who want the same thing with each other and are both willing to do what it takes to make that happen. That's how "what's meant to be" happens.

But what matters right now is what is. Can you live with everything that's in that reality of today? It's not just today, but tomorrow and the next day and the next? Can you live like this with him if nothing changes? This is your life, not his.

You're the only one who can answer this.

I hope this helps you see your way clear.

Love,

Jane

It's a familiar road for so many of us. What do you think? Should Flower just move on? Share your thoughts, your own stories, and any advice you may have for her in the comments.

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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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