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To let it go or put the effort in/stay consistent

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Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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  • #104676
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Thoughtfullearning:

    I think it is time for the two of you to meet for coffee or such, in the middle of a nice day, no alcohol, no tents, just the two of you in a quiet public place, for a one to one conversation. I would text him/ email him asking to meet him for such.

    There is a lot of guessing going on in your head and it is time to clarify by having that conversation or conversations with him (one time or a few). While having a conversation with him, you will have to be calm enough, or have the chance to get calm once you are distressed (take a break, go to the bathroom, deep breathing, go back to the table). Ask questions, listen, evaluate (then or later, that is why it may require more than one conversations) It is not about interrogating him, but learning what is going on.

    There are your perceptions of what happened, in your own mind; there are his perceptions in his own brain. Then there is what he will tell others (not necessarily what is honest), and so on.

    Sounds to me that he was attracted to you because he repeated the same behavior: sleeping by you and kissing. Then it sounds to me that you may have not made yourself clear to him. Sounds to me he was not clear with you, somewhat manipulative. This is what I figure. But what is important is getting the truth through face to face, sober conversation/s.

    Please post again, especially if you do make such a meeting take place.

    anita

    #104766
    Thoughtfullearning
    Participant

    Anita,

    Thank you for your response! I have a lot of trouble with communicating my feelings with guys because I feel as though I will scare them off. For example, when I read your response I totally agreed that we both need to sit down and talk about it one on one without any substances that would alter responses and then I cringed because the thought of sitting him down to “talk” with him seems so premmature to how much time we have spent together, ultimately I am scared of running him off. In other words, in my young generation everyone just wants everyone to go with the flow and act “cool” about situations like this, I on the other hand like to talk things out. I am scared to bring my feelings up into this because I think I would run him off in the opposite direction/ be to forward, I work with this guy or he works alongside a lot of my colleagues and knows them……I don’t want to be labeled as this crazy girl who hangs out with someone a couple times and then spills her guts….. and I am not saying thats what your suggesting but if I were to truly sit down and talk with him I guess I would have to have a game plan to tell him that I just want to be friends because the added stuff on top in making me confused within the friendship.

    Does something like this seem reasonable but not crazy: Hey, I really have enjoyed spending time with you and I would like to continue hanging out as friends because the added benefits are making me confused. I really have to respect my own boundaries by setting ones up between you and I.

    In actually writing this ^^^^^ I realize he is using me- as a friends with benefits kind of attitude regardless if we have not even gone past kissing he is still using me in a way and that is completely unfair to me as a person.

    I will keep you posted on what ends up happening! Thank you!

    #104769
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Thoughtfullearning:

    I understand your fear. Whether you get together with him for a one on one talk or not, one thing needs to be done and that is you have clarity about what is going on. You can choose another way of accomplishing it. My idea of one on one over coffee may not be a good idea.

    If you are convinced now that he is using you, that is that he doesn’t want what you want, then you have the clarity. If you are not sure, if you continue to be confused, better not proceed to operate in the (figurative and literal) dark. Somehow, talk to him, somehow get the information, ask a blunt question, not interrogative style, not accusatory, so that you have a better chance of getting an honest answer. Something like: are you in a relationship with (another woman)? Do you see me as a possible girlfriend?

    You did hear what he said to his friends during the camp out. At the least it meant he doesn’t want his friends to think he is interested in you as a possible girlfriend. At the most, it means he is not interested in you as a possible girlfriend.

    Post anytime and you are welcome!

    anita

    #105001
    Thoughtfullearning
    Participant

    Anita,

    Truth hurts, but I have to agree with you. He’s just not into me in the same regard, I did not get that firm confirmation of this but we have not spoken since (more or less I tried texting him with no response) this past weekends disaster. I can’t help but feel down in the dumps, after much consideration of the act of wanting to start something with him I realize that I don’t want to after all, but the rejection is still painful. We will talk eventually, heck I work with him. Hopefully he has some decency not to tell everyone about what happened, I don’t think it would be in his favor too. Yet here I am telling an online platform!

    I am working on myself, as always a continuos process but he definitely helped me realize that I was walking the same path that I do with every guy. The needy, must have you, so dependent I could die walk…..and that needs to end. The only one I should depend on is myself. Hope I can harness this energy into some real progress with in.

    Thank you again for your ear, and if you have any other additional comments, tips, advice….feel free.

    #105006
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Thoughtfullearning:

    As to your comment about depending on yourself only, as humans we are social animals, herd animals. We need people and always will (with breaks of course), so it is a matter of balance of sorts, how to go about needing people. You need a boyfriend, let’s say, what do you do so to get a good boyfriend?

    It is bed time for me, but would like to keep talking to you later, if you write more. If you want, how about thinking about how to get your people-need met effectively. In the scenario with the guy, what would you do different?

    Brain is slowing down, coming to a halt. Definitely bed time. Till your next post, take good care of yourself, be kind to yourself!

    anita

    #105071
    Thoughtfullearning
    Participant

    Anita,

    I don’t think needing a boyfriend will bring happiness into my life as much as I do want a partner. What I have found from this “neediness” is that it only ends with the guy turning the other way and usually running. I don’t believe relationships should be built on neediness and dependency, in other words it should be a mutual growth and spiritual path between to people who learn, love and grow together. The dependency I am talking about and constantly “looking” for is not one that is healthy, its that “I can’t live without you” type of dependency that is dangerous, unhealthy and leaves any person feeling lost with in themselves. can you really grow when you are dependent on another person, you can grow through experiences with someone else or talking it through but not neediness. Thats where I am trying to change, I realize once again with this guy that it is a repetitive behaviour…..of wanting a partner so bad that I get lost in the other person, catering to their schedule, their likes, their needs, what they are attracted too…..morphing myself into someone I am truly not to the point where I am so far gone in the clouds…..when something goes wrong- like being rejected I react extremely poor towards the situation because it is not matching up to be what I have created in my head. It is easy for me to recognize this because the guy in the above conversation is very similar to a guy I became heart broken about years before, same type of situation, same treatment, same reaction from me and same outcome. I wanted this time to be different, to tell him we were friends and to just be “a friend” but I seemed to single handedly ruin that already by showing him my not so flexible, easy going side- which every one has dont get me wrong, we all have our moments— and he even said that to me after I became embarrassed and apologize. Now the friendship is different, because we haven’t known each other very long, its no sweat off his back to just back out of the friendship and walk in the opposite direction…..like many people have done to me before. I get it, I showed my not so nice side very fast. I texted him yesterday, took him till today to respond and he cant really even say more then a couple words to me. I get it, I understand. Is there any repair to this friendship, do I just need to give it time?
    and yes I want to repiar not because I think there is a “chance” but because we work together and I don’t feel right about letting something like this go

    In a scenario with a guy and what I would do different? I would be his friend first, I would respect my boundaries of drinking and being intimate with another person and not cross that line that would put me into the risk of getting hurt. I would be my own person, and continue to do what I wanted/ have my own life and not cater to the other person by dropping all plans in order to spend more time with them. I would not let go so much information about my personal life as to not get attached emotionally. If i could go back I would. Though I know all of this is a big learning lesson for me and is part of natural growth. Its very easy for me to recognize it but very hard for me to accept that truth

    best,
    thoughtfullearning

    #105144
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear thoughtfullearning:

    Here is my input following reading your latest post, about how to relate to this man and future men (as friends first): instead of trying to show him one side of you (fun-to-be-with, independent, happy) while hiding the other side of you (not so fun to be with, overly dependent, unhappy), show him both sides of you, hide nothing.

    What I mean by this is for you to share with him that you are indeed very needy, inclined to be overly dependent, lose yourself in a relationship. And so, you want to learn how to have a healthy relationship. Then listen to what the guy tells you. Maybe he will share with you his own over dependency or experiences he had with others who were overly dependent on him. Maybe he will lose interest right there, if he was at all interested. This will give you important information about the guy. Over a few heart-to-heart conversations, as friend, you might be building a partnership.

    If you try otherwise to pretend, to appear like you are not inclined toward over dependency, you are not even close to building a foundation for a possible worthwhile relationship. If you do that, you are just wasting time and not learning.

    anita

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