Being head-over-heels for a guy during the honeymoon phase can have you feeling like he could really be the one. It's in the early phase of dating or getting in a new relationship where we're focusing on security, intimacy, trust, friendship, and communication--while sometimes ignoring the important signs of bae not really wanting the long-term commitment you're hoping to get.
When we're at a point that we prioritize our partner, we tend to want to focus on the best parts of them. However, this could lead us to immediately ignoring red flags like him being emotionally unavailable, manipulative, or a player. This is known as falling for potential.
Falling in love with potential is seeing the relationship develop into a more committed romance without any real assurance or guarantee that this will eventually happen. Here are some ways to avoid getting wrapped up in who a man can become and accepting the fact that who he is might not be who you need.
Evaluate where the relationship or situation is today.
In my past relationship, I now know that I was falling for a man's future-self instead of his present-self because I kept feeling the need to fix him in order to create the reality I wanted. I wanted my boyfriend to be more affectionate, take me out on dates, and be more committed to me. But when "eventually" came (or when I became fed up), he never came around to doing any of those things. I gave a lot of time and money to my ex, defended his actions to my friends (sorry besties), and became emotionally invested as if every good action I did would get him one step closer to taking our relationship seriously.
Wishing for him to be that future guy I envisioned him to be or that he would change back to the old him made it easier to fall in love with the man he could be instead of accepting him for the boyfriend he currently is.
I once heard a saying, "Men fall in love with who a woman is. Women fall in love with who a man can become," and it really hit me. Once I was able to view the person I was with at that time for who he really was, I realized that this situation was no longer serving me. Ask yourself if where you're currently at in your relationship is still worth the wait based on who he is today.
Avoid making conditional situations.
"If he makes time for me, then I'll give him another chance. If I cut him off too soon, then I might miss out on him wanting to see me. If I entertain him a little longer, then he'll come around into wanting to be with me."
If-then statements keep us thinking about future scenarios that may or may not happen, instead of focusing on what's currently going on. The result of you constantly asking a guy to meet you where you're at emotionally is you become more accustomed to making the most sacrifices in the relationship and putting your feelings second.
Cut the if-then statements and focus on the conversations and actions that's he currently into now. The only if-then that should be weighed is, "If he's not making me a priority, then he's treating me like I'm an option."
Let go of your need to change him.
When you find yourself wanting to change a man into the person you want him to be, it shows that either you're too focused on him instead of yourself or you can't accept him for who he is today. Wanting him to be a better man by constantly asking him to do the same thing over and over again is also indicating that you can't find happiness between the two of you until he can begin doing what was asked of him the first 100 times.
You can learn to deal with things you can't control by letting go of your need to change a man. This was especially difficult for me to understand in my past relationship--I knew that he was capable of being more conversational, outgoing, and family-oriented, but I couldn't stand the thought of him not wanting those things at the same time I wanted them. So I had to learn to let go of my vision of where we could be and fully accept him.
Becoming emotionally invested before understanding his intentions can lead us to be on different pages in our relationships. Truth be told, it's selfish and emotionally harmful to think a guy needs to hurry up and be just as ready as we are if he's clearly not there.
So how can we decipher between someone who's not yet ready and someone who will never be ready? The best way is to have those honest conversations and watch his habits. If you have to nag or plead your man to do certain things, then that's a sign that you both aren't on the same page. If he's able to express how he feels instead of getting frustrated at the thought of getting married, he could be worth your time. A man who wants to be with you in a committed way will voluntarily show it without you forcing him!
Want to know the 3 secrets to getting a man to take you seriously? Download your FREE guide here!
Featured image by Shutterstock
Want more stories like this? Sign up for our newsletter here to receive our latest articles and news straight to your inbox.
- Don't Fall In Love With Potential - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
- Why Do I Keep Attracting Emotionally Unavailable Partners? - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
RELATED
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Leon Bennett/WireImage
The first time I did it, I was among a group of ladies and we were encouraged to write down our feelings in our journals. Afterwards, we huddled around and one by one burned our pages with some ladies even revealing what they wrote. It was a beautiful moment and a great way to support each other.
The second time I did burn journaling, I was by myself. I was reading Calling In The One and one of the practices involved writing down the things I wanted to let go of and burning it. I had Cleo Sol’s “Know That You Are Loved” playing in the background on repeat while I burned the pages in my apartment bathroom.
What Does Burn Journaling Do?
Based on my experience and others' explanations, burn journaling is a cathartic practice. The act of burning serves as an emotional release of past traumas, old thoughts, and negative feelings. It’s also a way to say goodbye and/ or forgive.
Types of Burn Journaling
There are different examples of burn journaling: Burning journals after writing, burning letters and burning lists.
Burn Journals
As stated before, you can write in a journal and burn it afterwards. It’s up to you if you burn it page by page or wait until you fill the journal up and burn it altogether. There are journals you can buy for the sole purpose of burning them afterwards.
Maskot/ Getty Images
Burn Lists
This technique involves writing a list of things you want to let go of and then burning it. Burning the list symbolizes the release of those things.
Burn Letters
Another example are burn letters. For this technique, you write a letter to someone that you either want to forgive or let go of, but instead of sending it to them, you burn it.
Safety Precautions
If you do decide to try this practice, make sure to be safe. Use a fireproof bowl for burning and never leave it unattended. Alternatively, you can shred the pages.
If you’re in Atlanta and want to try burn journaling, meet me this Sunday for Burn Journaling & Walk.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Mikhal Dmitriev/ Getty Images