Just Not That Into Who?

There are signs that indicate whether or not a person is interested or not. Of course there are very obvious signs like lack of attention, and evasiveness. But if a person is saying that they are interested with their mouth, why would there be any other indication to the contrary? I would like to be able to take people at face value, but too many people can't be honest with themselves let alone with another person about how they really feel.

I understand that nobody wants to put themselves out there for rejection, but acting in a nonchalant manner can give the impression of not being interested. For this reason, if I like someone, I make an effort not to give conflicting signals. Even if I want to hold back, I try to let myself go so that there is no misconception as to what I want. Contrary to what a lot of articles and books say, it is possible to do this without scaring the other person into thinking you are a stalker.

So what is to be gained by this aloofness? Saving face and playing coy can get you the boot quicker than being honest and available. I've heard many say that you don't want to be the first one in a relationship to admit how you feel, but this sounds so silly and childish to me. If you like someone why play games? Especially if there is a risk that you could lose out. And if you do not like them, why string them along? I can play games with the best of them, but I will never be able to understand how frivolous people can be with their time. If I am not feeling it, I don't waste an extra second in discomfort. And I certainly don't want the other person to believe something is going to happen that surely (in my book), will not.

At the end of the day, we are all responsible for ensuring that the impressions we make will be consistent with our true selves. Even if you do not like the person & no matter how awkward it may be, we should be adult enough to make sure that we are being up front & honest. I've played with taking the cowards way out and just avoiding people, and that never really works out. Of course you don't have to be cruel and mean, but simply admit that something just isn't right for you and politely move on. For those that want to argue or convince you, don't fall into that trap. It's just another way to try to get you to engage them. You did your civic duty by being honest, and there is nothing else required. But giving mixed signals and being wishy- washy (is that a word?) brings bad Karma and will only come back to bite you.

Pulling Away

Ever hear the expression "be careful what you wish for because you just may get it"? I've heard it several times, but never paid it any real thought until now. For a long time, I've been on a journey for my soul mate. I've stood on my faith and upheld my personal standards because I knew I would find him. This makes it even more crazy that when faced with my hearts desire, I find myself pulling away. It's almost as if I'd rather take it away from myself instead of having it fall apart after I am in love and invested.

I've done a lot of soul searching lately. I've been asking myself what exactly is making me hesitate? Vulnerability isn't comfortable, but I think I have worked through that. The one thing that keeps coming back to me is that hesitation is a habit for me. To explain further, in the past my hesitation has saved me from being caught up in relationships that were not right for me. That survival instinct has been reinforced with every loser I've dated in the past and is stronger than ever. I thought I could but, I don't know if I can turn it off.

This instinct takes the form of a voice that points out every single thing that could possibly be wrong. But like good versus evil, there will automatically be some type of clarity or revelation that shows me that this is exactly what the right thing looks like. I am having this emotional tug of war in my head without ever saying a word. Strangely enough, the more time I dedicate to thinking about it, the more I begin to daydream and even fantasize and become dreamy (my face is totally twisted & contorted in disbelief)...

Ultimately, good does overpower evil. Instead of pulling away from love, I am finding myself pulling away from my old habit of self preservation. I value the instincts that have gotten me this far in life. They saved me when I needed to be saved. And it is true that not all people deserve all of the benefits of our love, affection, and admiration. But there will be times in life where you will find those that deserve all of those things and it is only fair to them, that they should receive them.