Falling in Potential

Ah, the age-old tale of falling in love with potential. It's like a romantic comedy turned horror movie. Picture this: I'm cruising through life, feeling pretty good about myself, when suddenly I realise, the guy I had been seeing for a couple of months, well…I’m not exactly topping the charts on his priority list. Then…the breakup scene, complete with the dramatic speech about self-worth and how I deserve more.

But wait!, the plot twists! Just when I thought I called it quits, he cries, promised to change, and bam! we're back in business for another round of this maybe love story.

You’d think I'd learn my lesson, right? Wrong. Instead of dodging those big red flags like a matador in a bullfight, I dive headfirst into making excuses for his behaviour. Suddenly, I'm playing second fiddle in my own life, working overtime to save a sinking ship of a relationship.

Why, you ask? Well, because I saw potential. That glimpse of what could be if only he'd get his sh*t together. Not to ruing it but he didn't. Now, guess who did? Me!, sacrificing my own boundaries and sense of self in an futile attempt to make him my Prince Charming. Or someone who could actually emotionally invest into this relationship.

The truth is you can't turn a frog into a prince with wishful thinking and a sprinkle of fairy dust. Nope, all I got was a one-way trip to Resentment City, population: me.

Falling for potential is just like building a house on a foundation of quicksand, sure, it might looks good at first, but eventually, it's all gonna collapse. Trust me.

Well…here I am, older and wiser, with a PhD in Red Flag Detection. I've learned to trust my instincts, demand actions over empty promises, and to actually value myself in a relationship. Crazy, I know.

And as for falling for potential? Well, I’m now retired from that sport. Because at the end of the day, I'd rather invest in myself and in someone who recognises my worth, appreciates it, and is willing to invest in me too. Because, life is too short to waste on all the maybes and what-ifs when there's a whole world of genuine, reciprocal love out there waiting to be explored.