“Will I Ever Truly be Loved?”

“Will I Ever Truly be Loved?”

by Gladys Diaz

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As a health coach myself, I don’t seem to be able to break the fear of never being truly cherished, like all women want to be. I can effectively coach others in health and spiritual issues, but I have a difficult time trusting myself in the romantic love area. This has especially been the case since a relationship that was going strong fizzled within a couple days. I thought I was practicing the surrendered single philosophy with this man, to no avail.

 

Thanks for being so vulnerable in asking your question.  The fact that you are a coach and able to get people to being taking steps to create healthier lives probably makes it easier for you to understand that a lot of what stops us from having what we really want in our lives is fear.  And, 99 percent of the time, the things we fear are not real.  Many times, they are based on our past and on what we have already experienced, and we tend to project those experiences into our future.

The truth is that you are already love-able – able to love and be loved.  If you can distinguish what it is that you are actually afraid of, then you can see it for what it is – nothing but a thought – and you can choose to either honor it or not honor it.

So, what is it that you are afraid of?  You mention that you’re afraid of never truly being cherished.  The first question I’d like you to ask yourself is whether there is something about yourself that you have not yet brought love, forgiveness and acceptance to.  You know, as a health coach, that not bringing love, forgiveness, or acceptance to parts of our bodies can cause us to make choices that actually harm our bodies, even if we say that we want to be healthy.  So, is there something about yourself – physically or emotionally – that you’ve not yet embraced or accepted?  Is it something you’re afraid that the man you are with will see or discover and not accept?  If so, are you willing to bring love and acceptance to that part of you now so that you can begin to invite love into your life?

You also mention that you don’t trust yourself when it comes to love and romance.  The first thing this made me think of is whether you made a choice in the past that you now regret.  Many times, when we think that we haven’t made very good choices when it comes to relationships, it’s because we weren’t willing to listen to and trust our intuition in a previous relationship.  Perhaps we ignored the red flags that were letting us know that the guy wasn’t someone who we could trust. Perhaps we didn’t want to listen if he said that he wasn’t interested in being in a committed relationship, and we kept holding on, in hopes that he would change his mind.  Or perhaps we continue to attract men who are not available or unwilling to commit or be faithful.

Regardless of the choices you made in the past, it’s important that you, again, forgive yourself and not make yourself wrong or beat yourself up for having made those choices.  Forgive yourself, take the lessons that you learned from those experiences, and remember them as you move toward inviting new love into your life. 

You mentioned a relationship that fizzled after a few days.  I’m wondering whether this was someone with whom you were in an actual committed relationship, or someone who you were just dating.  Regardless of the answer, if it fizzled that quickly, chances are that he wasn’t the right guy for you, so it’s better that you learned that early on. I know it doesn’t minimize the pain you may feel now, but it’s better than having invested months, or even years, in a relationship that was not going to result in a lifetime love.  So, again, take the lessons you learned, be grateful for them, and be courageous enough to open your heart to the possibility of inviting someone new into your life.  And continue practicing the surrendered singles principles to attract to yourself the man who is right for you!

Bottom line: You were created to love and be loved.  Don’t buy into the story that you’re not meant to experience that.  If there is a fear or doubt in the way, you know the power of coaching, so work with a coach to get those fears distinguished, dismantled, and out of the way so that you can begin to enjoy the experience of being in the relationship your heart desires!

Questions?  Comment?  Let us know below! We love hearing from you!

 

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Your Thoughts Affect the Way You Experience Relationships, Part 2

Your Thoughts Affect the Way You Experience Relationships, Part 2

by Gladys Diaz

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To see the Part 1 of this question and my response, go to yesterday’s post, “Your Thoughts Affect How You Experience Relationships.”

Dear Gladys,

Thanks for answering my question.  I should have been clearer on what I meant by Masculine and Feminine.  I don’t even think they are the right terms to use, but they do seem more like the negative, unhealthy sides of masculine and feminine energies, without the positive sides.

The “Feminine” men are the ones who are weak and indecisive, but also manipulative.  They tend to have emotional problems, talk about their feelings endlessly (and I really mean endlessly, to the point where I dread seeing them because I know that’s all we’ll talk about, and if I ask if we can talk about something else, I’ll be accused of being cold and uncaring) but refuse professional help and want me to take care of them instead.  They are very needy and clingy.  They usually try to guilt and pressure me into a relationship with them and if that doesn’t work, they’ll recruit other people to pile on the pressure.  They have very strong victim mentalities and are convinced that no-one understands them, everyone is mean to them and they usually identify “mean” as anyone who didn’t want to take responsibility for them.  I find myself walking on eggshells around them, in case anything I say leads them to having some kind of freak out (I once had to pull over the car I was driving because the guy suddenly started freaking out about how he should never have to feel uncomfortable in any situation, and so what if everyone has to deal with this, f*ck them, why should he be constrained by their limitations) They seem like bottomless pits of need, no matter what anyone does for them, it’s never enough, and they turn pretty nasty when they don’t get their own way.  Rather than a woman, they seem to want a mother or an unpaid therapist.

With the more Masculine men, when I say they seem controlling, I don’t mean in the sense that they take the lead or make decisions.  I love that, and really appreciate when a man does it.  I mean in the sense that, for example, they might have traveled a lot themselves, but really don’t like the fact that I have.  They’re rude and short with waiters if the food isn’t EXACTLY how they want it, and get angry about it.  They boast about how people in their work jump to their commands as soon as they click their fingers.  They talk about how women should never put on weight and should always look and dress a certain way.  I even had one guy tell me if he was married, he’d have limits on how often his wife’s family and friends could visit.

I used to get pulled in by the first type of guy’s story and would believe that he’d been hard done by.  I don’t anymore and I leave when I see the signs of that behavior.  The second kind of guy seems to be what I’m attracting now, so I seem to have over-corrected.  Neither type of guy is very kind or loving.

 

Thanks for sending more clarification regarding your question and what you meant by “masculine” and “feminine.”  I agree that those probably weren’t the best terms to describe what you were referring to, but I still invite you to explore this, because it could give you some insight into how you see yourself and men, since you refer to the men you see as being “feminine” as being needy and clingy.  I’m not saying that this is how you see yourself as a woman, or women, in general, but it’s just something to look at and explore.

It appears that you’ve identified the pattern the first type of man you were attracting as men who were looking for someone to take care of or “rescue” them.  As you described very well, that type of pattern can be exhausting, because you become an emotional “crutch” for the man and are constantly in giving mode, rather than receiving mode. While you may not be attracting that type of man anymore, I invite you to explore what it was that had you attracting men who you felt “needed” you to protect or save them.  I’m not saying that you made them needy or that you even intended to attract that type of man.  However, when there is a recurring pattern presenting itself in our lives, as I mentioned in the previous post, it’s not a coincidence.  There is something that would have that type of man be drawn to you.

What I’ve seen with some of my clients is that they were unconsciously attracting men to whom they felt a little superior.  Due to their own insecurities about themselves, they were seeking out someone who perhaps would not mind that they had something that they had not yet fully embraced or accepted within themselves.

Some women tend to draw in people who need them because they associate love with “giving” or “nurturing.”  While, of course, in a relationship there will be times when we will be giving and sharing our love with the other person, the imbalance comes in when we are the only ones giving, which is what it sounds like you were experiencing.  In this case, there comes a point where you feel depleted because you have been giving and giving and not receiving much love from yourself  (in the form of self-care) or the other  person in the relationship.

The other thing I noticed was that you mentioned the pattern of the men trying to “guilt you” into being in a relationship with them and then recruiting others to do the same.  I’ve found that when we send a clear message about what we want and don’t want, even if the other person doesn’t really like or want to hear what we’re saying, there’s no need to feel pressured in any way, because we’re crystal-clear about what we want.  It’s when we’re sending mixed messages, trying to be subtle about what we want, or even suggesting that we “stay friends,” when we have no interest whatsoever in doing that, that the other person interprets this as there still being some type of room or hope for there to eventually be a relationship.

From your response it seems like you are now attracting the type of man who (from your description) seems to be very demanding, critical, and overbearing. Again, I invite you to explore why you might be attracting this type of man? Think about whether there is anything happening on the date that might have a man feel that he needs to “prove” that he’s smarter, more worldly, powerful, and that he commands respect from others.

Again, you’re not responsible for anyone else’s behavior, but you are the magnet that is attracting these men. By looking within, you may be able to identify what it is that would have this pattern emerging, because this is no more “a coincidence” than it is for the woman who keeps attracting men who are addicted to substances, men who are incapable of being faithful, or men who can’t keep a job.  We, as women, are natural magnets, so I invite you to do the inner work to see if you can identify what it is that could be causing this pattern to show up in your life, when it clearly sounds like it’s not what you want to experience when you’re on a date or in a relationship.

Perhaps there’s a fear of being controlled, losing yourself, or not having a man accept and love you exactly the way you are.  If a fear is strong enough and you focus on it enough, you may actually be attracting to yourself what you don’t want.

Some steps you can take are to ask yourself the questions I included in yesterday’s post, as well as a few others:

  • What are my limiting beliefs about men?
  • What is are my limiting beliefs about men and how they relate to me?
  • What am I afraid will happen once I’m in a relationship with a man?
  • What I am I afraid will not happen once I’m in a relationship with a man?

Once you have the answers to those questions, ask yourself:

  • How do each of my limiting beliefs or fears show up when I’m on a date or in a relationship?
  • With which new thoughts and affirmations am I willing to replace these limiting beliefs and fears?

Some examples of new thoughts and affirmations might be:

  • I attract men who are interesting, loving, and kind.
  • I attract men who are as attracted to me as I am to them.
  • I attract men with whom I have fun and feel comfortable.

It’s important to keep in mind that you’ll want to do the inner work first, so that you can clear the doubts and fears out of the way and be able to really embrace and believe the affirmations!

While it can feel frightening or uncomfortable to look within and do the inner work, the only way to remove whatever it is that’s blocking or standing in your way of attracting the kind of man with whom you can create the relationship of your dreams is to identify the fear and limiting belief, see it for what it is, and then choose to remove and replace it with new thoughts, actions, and ways of being that have you attract what you do want to experience in dating and relationships!

Questions?  Comments?  Let us know below!  We love hearing from you!

 

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Your Thoughts Affect How You Experience Relationships

Your Thoughts Affect How You Experience Relationships

by Gladys Diaz

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I love your blog, I’m very happy I found it.  The question I want to ask is, is it possible to find a man who is masculine AND a kind and loving person?  I meet guys who are either feminine and don’t want to take the lead, or are masculine and controlling.  I’m wondering whether it’s a case of choosing one or the other, so I need to decide what I’m prepared to compromise on.  Neither option appeals, to be honest!

In my work with women, I’ve learned that, when there is a recurring pattern in the type of men they are meeting, it usually stems from a fear and/or a limiting belief they have about men, dating, relationships, and themselves.   These fears and limiting beliefs will “color” the glasses through which they see men and will impact the experience they have of dating and relationships.

The interesting thing about your question is that you seem to be attracting polar opposites.  So, my first thought when I read the question was: How do you define “masculine”?

Whatever the answer to that question is will determine how you see men.

For example, you mention that the “feminine” man is one who doesn’t want to take the lead. Given that interpretation, when a man asks you what you like or prefer or where you’d like to go, you might see him as being indecisive, unassertive, or unable of making a decision.  However, given another perspective, you might see that this type of man is truly interested in you and wants to make sure he stands a shot at pleasing you and seeing you happy. In other words, he is being kind and loving, but, if your view is that he’s being “feminine,” you won’t see be able to see that.

You also describe a “masculine” as “controlling.”  This means that, in your eyes, a man who does take the lead, makes decisions, and is assertive might be seen as overbearing or demanding.  Given another perspective, however, this same man could be seen as one who is confident, assertive, and sure about his ability to please you.  Again, he might be the most loving and kind man, but given the belief that each time he makes a decision he is being “controlling,” nothing he does will occur for you as loving or kind.

Can you see, that, given whatever your definition or interpretation of what a “masculine man” is or should be, you may sending out mixed messages?

Our fears and limiting beliefs about ourselves, men, dating, and relationships will determine the way we experience being with a man.  These fears are completely past-driven, based on an experience we had in the past, and come up whenever we think that something will or will not happen.

So, some questions you can ask yourself are:

  • What are my limiting beliefs about men?
  • Or, even more importantly: What is are my limiting beliefs about men and how they relate to me?
  • What am I afraid will happen once I’m in a relationship with a man?
  • What I am I afraid will not happen once I’m in a relationship with a man?

These questions can be tricky to answer without the guidance coach, because our minds tend to want to protect us from seeing what’s really there, particularly if the fear or limiting belief was created as a result of a negative or traumatic event from our past.  However, ask them of yourself, be willing to be 100% honest and transparent with yourself, and see what you are able to uncover.

Once you identify your fears and limiting beliefs as what they really are – thoughts – not “the truth,” but just thoughts – then you can choose to replace them with new thoughts.  And, once you replace the old thoughts with new ones, you can now choose to see something different the next time a man asks you for your preference or makes a decision.

Thoughts create what we interpret as our reality, and our experience of dating and relationships are no exception. 

Norman Vincent Peale could have very well been speaking to a woman about to go out on a date when he said, “Change your thoughts and you change your world.”

 

Click here to read Part 2 of this post.

Comments?  Questions? Let us know below!  We love hearing from you!

 

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When You Want Sex and He Doesn’t

When You Want Sex and He Doesn’t

by Gladys Diaz

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I’ve been married for 4 years and have known my husband for 7 years. When we first met, everything seemed to click into place. One thing he talked about was sensuality and sexuality and said he had an extremely high libido. Well, that never showed itself and I figured since we had so many different challenges over the years, once “one thing” is taken care of, then we’d have this blissful sex he used to talk about. Seven years later and I’ve given up hope.

I’ve been wanting sex, but he never does and never did. I’ve tried to look pretty myself in so many ways, be the perfect loving wife, tried to be patient as he sorted through life’s challenges. We average the sex act 3 or 4 times a year. It’s never pleasurable for me, but it’s something. He doesn’t know how to please me, though I’ve gently tried to encourage him. We’ve been to couples counseling and basically they feel he’s lazy and didn’t have any upbringing on lovemaking and relationships. Though he talked the talk, that was it.

We went to his primary care doctor to see if he had any medical issues to attribute to this. Nothing. He does have restless leg syndrome and Attention Deficit Disorder. He recently was diagnosed with depression and is on medication. The meds made him a new person for the better, except, the lack of sex and intimacy is the same.

 

He spoke so sweet to me at first, as if I was his world 7 yrs ago but shortly after, became part of the furniture or his roommate or UFC buddy. I get judged by people saying why am I with him. Well, he said he loves me and he doesn’t know why he’s like that. I tell myself and others who judge me that if I was that person who had the issue, I wouldn’t want someone to give up on me. Then, I’m regarded as a fool, my friends and family disappear and treat me as if I’m a clown. 

 

I can hear your frustration and can imagine there is some sadness mixed in with the hopelessness you’re feeling.  Sexual intimacy is such an important part of marriage, and, when it’s missing, it can lead to frustration and resentment.

While you say you’ve given up hope, I also hear that you are not ready to give up on him or your relationship.  This is a testament to the love you feel for him and makes me think that there are other things about your husband that you love.  Those are probably the same qualities that had you fall in love with and choose to marry him.

I’m wondering whether you and your husband practice other forms of intimacy besides intercourse.  Is there any hand-holding, kissing, or hugging?  Do you stimulate and please one another in other ways?  Are you open to using toys and other stimulants in the bedroom?  Sometimes, when the focus is not on the act of intercourse and there is play involved, it can make it easier for both partners to relax, explore, and discover new ways to please each other.

The fact that your husband has been willing to go to medical doctors and couples’ counseling is a testament to the fact that he knows you’re unhappy and he wants to try to make things better.  Listening to counselors tell him that he’s lazy and doesn’t know how to make love or be in a relationship can’t be easy to hear.  If he also hears from you how unhappy you are, how he’s not meeting your expectations and how he needs to figure out what is wrong, it could be adding to his inability to initiate or perform.

I’m wondering if you’d be willing to not mention the fact that he never wants to have sex for a while.  The pressure of knowing that this is an aspect of your relationship that you are not happy about and in which he seems to be unable to please you could make it even more difficult for him to initiate.  If some of the pressure was off, it’s possible that he might feel more relaxed, confident, and willing to initiate. I know it’s probably easier said than done, but, given how much our men want to please and see us happy, I believe that, if given some space without sex feeling like an obligation he’s not meeting may make it easier for him to make the first move.

In the meantime, I recommend that you take good care of yourself. This means making sure that you are doing things for yourself that make you feel good.  It’s important that you are caring for your emotional, physical, and spiritual, as well as your sexual needs by doing something every day for the pure and simple pleasure of it.

Self-care doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. It can be anything that you enjoy doing – reading, exercising, going for a walk, spending time with your girlfriends (the ones who are supportive of you trying to save your marriage, not the ones who you mention are judging you and your husband).  It can be lighting a candle while you take a long bath, listening to your favorite music, engaging in a hobby – basically anything that you enjoy and brings you pleasure.  And, yes, it can mean pleasuring yourself sexually, if that is what you feel you need.

Practicing self-care not only helps us take responsibility for our own happiness, but it also helps us have more peace and patience than when we’re feeling exhausted, anxious, and depleted of energy and joy.  We are much better able to be loving, understanding, and patient with our spouses when we’ve replenished ourselves and are not depending on them to make us happy.  And a woman who is peaceful, smiling, and appreciative is also very attractive!  You’ll be feeling and looking good, both inside and out!

I’m not saying that this will solve all of your issues, or that your husband will all of a sudden begin initiating sex.  However, focusing on other forms of intimacy, refraining from complaining about or bringing up the lack of sex, and practicing good self-care can help create a space where the opportunity to have sex doesn’t feel like an obligation for either one of you, and where you will feel better able to deal with the situation, while, at the same time, creating opportunities to connect with your husband in different ways.

 

Questions?  Comments?  Let us know below! We love hearing from you!

 

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What to do When You and Your Spouse Are Not on the Same Page

What to do When You and Your Spouse Are Not on the Same Page

by Gladys Diaz

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What do you do if you realize you married someone whose life vision is very different from yours and that causes great stress?  I am focused on getting a business in place, having a home that I am proud of, family is very important to me.  For my husband, the way the house looks isn’t important, family is a bother, and he is struggling in his business.  There is very little support for my priorities.

 

It sounds to me as if you and your husband may simply in two different places at the moment.  There are things that you feel are priorities, and he may have different priorities.  However, consider different does not mean either set of priorities is right or wrong, good or bad.  They are simply different. 

I hear that you are frustrated and feeling stressed out.  Many times, the frustration we feel is not due to the actual circumstances we are experiencing with our spouse or partner.  Instead, the stress is coming from wanting him to feel the same way we do. We expend an enormous amount of time and energy trying to convince him that he’s wrong, that he should change his mind, and, basically, that he should agree and want to do things our way.

I’m like you.  I like to have my home tidy, clean, and presentable. For years my husband and I argued about the state of the kitchen counter.  At that time, he didn’t have an office in our home, and his space was the counter around our kitchen island.  It would be full of mail, his electronics, his watches, and what felt to me like everything else he owned.  I asked him repeatedly to please clean off the counter.  I explained how much it upset me.  I tried tidying up the counter myself (resentfully).  I complained, criticized, and nagged him about it.  Nothing worked.  Most of the time he ignored me and would leave the mess until 5 minutes before company arrived, or until I cleaned it off myself.

Finally, one day, after I’d cleaned up the kitchen and living room areas (everything except the counter), I said, “I love it when the house is tidy and all the surfaces are clear.  It makes me feel so peaceful.  He didn’t say or do anything then, but we had company coming over the next day, and I vowed I wasn’t going to argue about the counter again.  It just wasn’t worth it.

The next day I came downstairs about an hour before the company was set to arrive, and I noticed that the counter was completely cleared off.  I smiled and said, “Thank you for cleaning off the counter, honey!”  He said, “You’re welcome,” and nothing else.  After everyone left and I was cleaning up the kitchen, I noticed he was helping to clean up the living room, so I thanked him for all of his help that day.  A little while later he asked me, “Want to know why I cleared off the counter?” I said, “Yes. Why?”  He said, “Because you didn’t nag me about it and I knew it would make you happy.” And he was right! It did.

That was about four years ago, and I haven’t had to mention the counters again!  Every once in a while it gets a little messy, but once a week, he goes through the mail and gets the counter looking neat again.  I’m so grateful for both the effort he makes to please me and the peace in my home!

I also used to nag my husband about spending too much time on the computer or playing video games. I used to tell him he should get a better job or ask for a raise.  And I’d remind him constantly about the things he said he’d do that he hadn’t done yet.

I thought I was just telling him what I felt was important.  I thought I was just sharing my thoughts and feelings with him. And, many times, I thought that, if he really loved me, and if he was really the right guy for me, he would do these things without me having to tell him.

What I didn’t realize was that all of the complaining, criticizing, and correcting was actually causing the opposite of what I wanted to happen.  See, when all we do is tell our husbands what they are doing wrong or not “right enough,” all they can hear is that they are “wrong” and that they need to be “fixed” or “changed.”  And, quite frankly, they don’t like being told what they should do any more than we do!

There  isn’t a man on this planet who will tell you that he’s been inspired to change or do anything differently by his wife or girlfriend’s nagging.  In fact, the more we nag about something, the more we can expect that behavior to stay in place.

So, what can we do to get more help, more time, and more support?  Simply express your desires.  Expressing your desires is about telling him what you want or don’t want, but not what you want him to do or not do.

So, rather than saying, “I want you to put the dirty clothes in the hamper, instead of leaving it on the floor,” ask yourself what it is that you want. Focus on the end result. If you think about it, what you really want is a neat room, so just say, “I want the room to look neat.”

Instead of complaining and saying, “You never take me out dancing anymore,” say, “I’d like to go dancing.”

Instead of complaining that he never helps around the house, say, “I want to make meatloaf, but I don’t want to wash the dishes.”

Instead of telling him, “You should spend more time with me and the kids,” tell him, “I’d like to spend time with you” or, even better, “I miss spending time with you.”

In each of these examples, you are focusing on what you want, not on what you want him to do.  This presents him with an invitation, instead of an obligation.  And, when we let our men know what we want, purely, with no expectations or criticisms, that’s what inspires them.  They just want to please us!

I know it sounds too simple.  I know, because I often feared that just saying what I wanted wouldn’t be enough.  I felt I might need to give him the reasons and explain why I wanted what I wanted.  But I’ve found that the more purely I express what I want, the better!

So, I invite you try it.  Instead of telling your husband all of the things he’s not doing to support you, just tell him what would please you. Start the sentence with “I want…” or “I’d like,” and remember to focus on the end result, instead of what you think he should do.

And, of course, when he does something that pleases you and helps fulfill your desires, thank him.  Let him know that you noticed and that you appreciate it.  When he knows that he’s pleased you and that he’s also appreciated, that will ignite within him the desire to continue wanting to please you.  At the same time, you’ll be creating a wonderful dynamic of respect, generosity, and gratitude and bringing peace and tenderness back into your marriage!

Please let me know how it goes!

 

Questions?  Comments?  Let us know below!  We love hearing from you!

 

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When the Man You Love is Married to Someone Else

When the Man You Love is Married to Someone Else

by Gladys Diaz

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I have recently reconnected with a past friend/relationship. There was no sex or desire to be with him then. Then one day 2yrs ago, I had a problem with my phone and contacted the company, and who came to my door… him! He was filling in for another guy who was on holidays. I think “What’s the chance of this happening?”

It’s been 16yrs and we have both traveled and had lives. He is married and I’m a single parent. Our connection this time round is very strong and soulful. He said he loved me and my inner core was so happy.

He is unhappy in his marriage and we have been talking and not gone to the next step. My thoughts are with him all day and he says he feels the same. I do love him, but where and what do we/I do now? I close my eyes and I can see us together in the future. I haven’t had this before. Is he a soulmate?

I can see how having someone pop back into your life again after so many years could have you asking “What’s the chance of this happening?” and wondering whether this was “meant to be.” I can also hear that you feel a deep connection to him and want to be with him.

You’re asking what you should do. I think a more important question for you to answer is, “What do I want to experience in a relationship?” This question is critical because, unless you know what you want, you will settle for what you think you can get. For the past two years, you have been involved with a married man. I acknowledge you for not taking it to the next step, and I also wonder why he’s still married after two years if he’s really that unhappy in his marriage and wants to be with you.

Please understand that I’m not saying this to be mean. This is your choice to make and you know what works best for you. It just sounds like you have really fallen for  and want a relationship with him and that you may have invested to years of your life in a man who is unavailable and unable to commit to you because he is still married to someone else.

I have way too many stories of clients and friends who waited and waited for the man they were in love with to leave his wife, only to end up broken-hearted after several years. The fact of the matter is that until a man is divorced from his wife – not just “separated,” but legally divorced – he is still legally bound to his wife. This makes him unavailable to anyone else, because, even if he wanted to marry someone else, right now, he couldn’t, because it is illegal to do so.

Some women will argue that the man says he is miserable and that the divorce is complicated, or that his wife won’t agree to the terms. What I’ve seen in my experience is that, when a man wants out, he gets out and figures out a way to deal with all of the complications.

The fact that it’s been two years and he’s still married makes me wonder about just how unhappy he is and how willing he is to begin a life with you. I’m not saying that he’s lying about how unhappy he is. However, he is lying – at least to his wife – if she is unaware of what is going on and that he’s been building this intimate friendship/relationship with you.

You ask what you should do now. The answer is going to come from what it is you want to experience in a relationship. I can hear that what you want is a loving, intimate connection with a soulmate. You just need to ask yourself whether that dream relationship also includes being with a person who is faithful and completely committed to being with you and you, alone.

If not, and you’re willing to be involved with a married man, while I don’t recommend it, then you can choose to proceed with allowing this relationship to move to another level. If, however, love, connection, commitment and fidelity are important to you, then, right now, this is not the right man for you, because he’s simply unavailable.

Either way, the choice of whether to continue with or end this relationship is yours to make. In choosing, I recommend that you think about what you really want and then make the choice that honors that desire and leaves you feeling the most loved and fulfilled!

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