How to Not Sabotage Your Relationship Before it’s Even Started

There’s something I’ve noticed amongst some women. It goes like this:

Meet a new man. Be excited. Start dating. Have a great time. Get intimate. It’s rockin’.

Then, the woman starts to notice what’s wrong. He’s not enough this. He didn’t do that.

The worst thing you (the woman) could do at this point is express your criticism to your man.

There’s a great book I read once. Twice. Three times or more.

A woman has “leaving rights” but not complaining rights.

The thing is this. If you meet a new guy that you like, enjoy it. Let him lead. Let him pursue. If he really likes you, he will.

Continue on with your life. See your friends. Date other people. Keep taking good care of you. If you want to meet new people, the dating god is well versed in helping people navigate the online dating websites by offering reviews. Be sure the visit the dating god website for more info.

If you really don’t like him, like he’s less than 50% of what you desire, leave.

If you choose to stick around, you best not complain to him about his behavior. Call your bestie or your therapist if you wanna moan.

When he does things that please you, thank him, let him know. Be sure he knows that you enjoyed going out dancing, or to dinner, or for that stroll.

DON’T criticize him!

The fastest way to ruin a relationship is to get critical with your man. If you’re newly dating, and your romance is fresh, your job as a woman is to receive his attention and affection with grace and ease.

If you begin to reflect to him that something is not working for you, here’s what I see that happens.

He feels emasculated. You’ve stripped him of his power. He doesn’t feel that he can please you. He may get defensive. He’ll move on to another woman who smiles, and appreciates his efforts.

Once your relationship is more established, it’s great to be more open and honest about your desires, but in the beginning stages, your relationship is a tender bud.

Nurture it with approval and adoration. Smile. Smell good. Look good. Enjoy.

If you look to him to be your pleaser right out of the gate, your relationship will be over fast!

An important question to ask ourselves is this:

What am I expecting from him that I’m not giving to myself?

Then, whatever comes to your awareness, go give that thing to yourself!

I learned this well in my own dating life. When I first met my honey, I made it clear that I wanted children and to have a family. I also made it clear that it didn’t have to be with him, but that I was on that track, that’s where I was headed.

I proceeded to date him and date others and to live my life. When he pursued, called, or asked me out, I was receptive to his energy. I smiled. I said thank you. I appreciated his efforts.

NEVER did I criticize him. Sure, now that we’re a couple years deep and I’m having his baby, I have moments where I lose my cool and have demanded things, but in the beginning? Never.

I also remembered something very important:

Men are like rubber bands.

They get close, and then they pull away. They need to separate. As women, we must allow this pulling away. They’ll spring back. If they don’t, not meant to be.

My sweetie pulled away a lot in the beginning. I didn’t pursue. I let him have his space and I waited for his lead.

Almost a year after we met, in which time I was still giving space, letting him lead, not demanding anything and not insisting that he give me the life I desired, he took me home to his family for Christmas. We got really close and talked about starting our own family.

When we came home, he broke up with me.

What did I do? Nothing. I didn’t call him, see him, reach out to him, nothing. For 5 solid weeks, though I was sad and in pain and missing him and wanting him back, I held my ground and did nothing.

I knew that to really know if he loved me I’d have to wait, let him lead, and see if he called. If he didn’t, he wasn’t my guy. I was not willing to be the masculine energy and pursue. He broke up with me, he’d have to call.

After 5 weeks, like a rubber band, he came springing back into my life. Now, we’re committed to each other and we’re starting our family.

I think the reason it worked with my guy is that I had learned a few important lessons about men in my life:

1. NEVER criticize a man. If you do, clean it up.
2. Let him lead and unless it goes against your morals, follow that lead. (If you want to be the feminine energy of the relationship.)
3. Don’t demand that he give you anything. You can be the energy of it. You can expect it. You can desire it, see it, think it, want it. But, don’t look to him to provide it too early on. How long is too early? In my world, I was willing to go a whole year without a promise of a ring or family.
4. When he pulls away, give him space. Let him return to you.
5. Appreciate. Praise. Approve. Adore. Lavish him with love when he meets your needs.

That book I mentioned above that I’ve read over and over? It’s called Getting to I Do. It’s by Pat Allen. If you’re struggling in your relationships with men and you desire to be the feminine energy, which means you want to be receptive and pursued, then I highly suggest reading this book and putting it into practice. (Don’t be put-off by the title!)

Or, if you’ve been in an on-again, off-again relationship with your guy, and you wonder what to do, read that book.

Now, it’s your turn.

Leave a comment below and share a great resource, book or lesson you’ve learned in your dating/relationship life. If you got value from this, please share it with your friends, too!

xo

Rachel Claire