Are you really ready?

How many times have you found yourself in a dead-end relationship? You know this is not the right person for you. You feel trapped. You feel lonely even though you are not alone. These are things that can happen if we jump into relationships too soon. We settle. We settle for someone who we may be attracted to, but we don’t really have any future with. If you want to stop wasting your time in these types of relationships there are steps you can take.

Before you take that leap into the dating pool, make sure you are really ready. Make sure you are at ease with yourself. You can never truly love someone else if you do not completely love yourself first. Whether you have been through a bad break-up or have never really had a serious relationship, it is important that you take a personal inventory before you begin.

Ask yourself the following questions and write your answers down.

Who am I?
What do I want?
Where do I want my life to be in 5 years?
What type of person would I want to share my life with?
What are my strengths?
What are my weaknesses?
Is there anything I would change about myself, and why?
What are the things that I will not tolerate in a relationship?

Take your time answering all of these questions. It is a small price to pay for the time you will not be wasting dating the wrong kind of people at the wrong time for you. In the long run it is better to be alone for a while then always lonely.

Love yourself first – others will follow.