It can be easy to lose yourself in a relationship. In the beginning you can be so excited by the possibility of love that you can lose what makes you really you. Not that you change completely, but sometimes people find afterwards that they gave “too much” of themselves just to be in a relationship.
Trust me, this isn’t an easy balance. You don’t want to be too selfish and demanding in a relationship. However, you don’t want to shove all your wants and desires away to get someone to like you. Again, this can be hard because most people have a tendency to give in and overlook things when they are first dating. This could give your potential boyfriend or girlfriend the wrong idea about you and your personality. I’ve heard a lot of people say their partner changed after a few months in the relationship. What tends to happen is that it’s easy to give in a couple of times, especially in the beginning. For example, it may not be too much of a hardship to watch a couple of football games when you start dating someone. However, it is whole other thing when your partner wants to watch 6 or more hours of football every Sunday with a few hours on Saturday and Monday night thrown in too. Your boyfriend or girlfriend could be confused by the fact that you all of a sudden hate football or don’t want to watch 5 games in a weekend with them. It isn’t that you “changed”, it is just that you are becoming more yourself in the relationship.
This can happen in all sorts of ways in a relationship. Most people don’t always speak up about what they like or don’t like right away because they don’t want to risk being rejected. Some people even falsely believe that they will be able to make a permanent change in one of their habits or interests. This can be true on occasion. Some people do broaden their horizons and find they like or are interested in something they’ve never really tried before. However, most of the time, you know in the back of your mind you don’t like something but continue to tolerate it for a certain period of time in the beginning of a relationship.
That is why it is called the honeymoon period. Everyone is more accommodating in the beginning. Just be aware that you don’t sacrifice too much of yourself in the beginning that it becomes really hard to assert yourself later. You want to be as honest as you can be about yourself. It is better to take the risk of being rejected, then to be loved for someone you’re not. If a person really can’t accept something about you, isn’t it better to figure that out sooner than later? You don’t have to pretend you are into something just please someone else or get them to like you. Everyone has different habits and interests. It isn’t always easy to find someone who gets you. It is also okay that not everyone does get you. It doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you. Not all people are meant to be compatible. It is okay to make small changes or to stretch yourself in a relationship. You just don’t have to stretch so far that you end up breaking. Know your limits and try to be upfront about it even within the first few dates.
If you have a fear of rejection or being alone, you can work on it. Fear is the main reason people try to change or give things up to make a relationship work. Try to work on facing those fears. Then you will feel stronger and more confident. Then hopefully you find a really great relationship instead of settling for whatever comes your way. It isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible. If you feel fear is holding you back, I suggest you talk to someone who can help you through it. Try to figure out and understand why you do what you do when it comes to relationships so you can make positive changes if necessary. We are all works in progress. Don’t be too hard on yourself if this post describes you. I’m sure it describes a good percentage of the population. There is hope for change and you can find a way to be more balanced in your current or future relationships.
First, figure out who you are and respect yourself. Second, learn how to communicate that to someone else. Third, learn to recognize what you can and can’t handle in a relationship with someone else. Last, be confident in your choice even if that means possibly being single for a little while.