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  • Heidi G
    Moderator

    Hi Diane,

    Have you talked to him??? Are you sure he is with another woman??? I can’t tell you how many times social media posts have been mis-interpreted.

    I strongly suggest you talk to him and confront him about it. Would that be something you are willing to do??

    Heidi

    in reply to: I reached the crossroad with my boyfriend #15399
    Heidi G
    Moderator

    Hi Evelyn,

    What I meant about being a “dynamic” situation was that there are MANY layers of dysfunction happening here. My heart goes out to you. I am sad that you had to experience an abusive relationship AND I am INCREDIBLY proud of you that you got out and created a different life.

    Since you know what it is like, you can help him. He is going through the SAME EXACT thing as you are. He is blaming himself for all the problems, he is feeling SO guilty that he is doing everything he can to fix it, but as you know…there is no end in site to that kind of thinking. Verbal / emotional abuse is actually much more impactful than just physical abuse. You are EXACTLY right that she is triggering his guilt/shame, but again….just like I”m sure you know from personal experience, it’s not about the other person. It’s about YOU. Again, this is about HIM finding the strength to forgive himself for whatever he feels guilty about. It’s about him being in enough pain to finally begin to make different decisions. He is trying to deal with all his INSIDE hurt trying to “fix” his OUTSIDE world and that will never work. That is where YOU being his friend, reminding him of what kindness feels like, reminding him of what love feels like, reminding him that there is a different choice….and not necessarily through your words, but your ACTIONS.

    And lastly, I want to really encourage you to take a different mindset about this other woman. I know it’s hard, but it’s possible. Whenever I have had to face or deal with someone who is just a horrible person, I connect to what could have possibly happened to them to make them turn out that way. People usually follow the patterns they experience while growing up and what they are role modeled. This woman, I am guessing, probably had an abusive childhood….to what extent, who knows, but I doubt she has ever really known what a healthy love feels like. She probably has never known what happiness really feels like. She has a dark cloud hanging over her head EVERYWHERE she goes, which is torture enough. She has to be in an incredible amount of pain to be the kind of abusive person she is. You know what that feels like! You were in an abusive relationship. Everyone is different in how they respond to their life and what happens. You would be doing her a GREAT service by not having hateful thoughts of her and by not wanting to rub anything in her face. That will only fuel her fire to continue finding someone else to abuse. In the very beginning of the movie “Les Miserable” (liam neeson and Claire danes) he portrays a thief that was just let out of jail. He is taken to a church. The pastor fed him and gave him a room. In the middle of the night, the thief woke up and packed up all of the pastor’s silver and anything he could find of value and took off. A day or 2 later, the cops found him on the dirt road (this was back in the old days when cars didn’t exist) and brought him back to the church. They said they found all the silver and valuables in his bag and asked if it was the pastor’s. The pastor looked and looked at the thief and said something to the effect of, “No, I gave to him. I wanted to help him.” The thief was completely awe struck, ashamed and embarrassed. BUT…that moment of kindness changed his heart. He left and spent the rest of his life helping people with his money. I get that it’s just a movie, but the concept is an important one. If you want to be like everyone else in her life who most likely hates her and sending her negative energy, you obviously can do that. OR you can be someone who sees the hurt in her life instead of the abuse she causes…and have compassion for her. For whatever reason, she and your guy have some things to work through. Maybe your kindness can change the course of her life…maybe not. But an act of kindness and compassion is MUCH MORE POWERFUL than hate and revenge. Just something to think about.

    Thoughts?

    Heidi

    in reply to: I need help and advise as I’m lost on what to do!!! #15398
    Heidi G
    Moderator

    Hi Danielle,

    This is a great question! My philosophy is to really help people connect deeper with themselves and get more clear. An effective therapist / coach will NOT tell their client what to do (unless it’s something life threatening). It’s is CRUCIAL that the client makes their own decisions, otherwise if they give into pressure or the advice of someone else, they are not making a decision from an authentic place, which can have MAJOR repercussions later on. So if I were working with him, I would not focus on either of you. I would want to focus on clearing as much junk FROM HIM. He has so much junk going on in his life that there is no way to be clear about what he wants and why. He most likely is using you and the other girl as a WONDERFUL distraction from some of the core issues he needs to face. That takes time. I would recommend he stay single for a period time. It really would be the best way for him to feel EVERYTHING he needs to feel in order to deal with the baggage that has been triggered. The thing is Danielle, as much as you want him back, he will most likely do something like this again unless he faces the core issues of his choices. That is what his Therapist can help him with. Your guy needs to learn new skills. He needs to learn new ways to deal with his stress that are healthy vs. sabotaging relationship. He needs to learn how to communicate better. He needs to learn how to manage his disorder better. He needs to set up accountability. I don’t have a mental disorder and I have all of these things in place. Life is difficult so it’s important to learn how to face those challenges in a healthy way. This is what I wish everyone on the face of this earth would do. We would all be so much more kind to each other!!!

    What do you think about that? I know it may not be what you would wish for….

    in reply to: Heidi G quick question #15397
    Heidi G
    Moderator

    Hi Julie!

    This is great news!!! How are you feeling about it?

    My sense is, still give him space. I would still wait and let HIM initiate the pace of connection. Let him be the guide for right now until some trust is built back up and until he can show some consistency and solidarity.

    Just for future reference…How would you feel if 2 days after breaking up, your guy said, “I am doing great.” I know that would kind of hurt my feelings and make me think: Maybe I wasn’t that important to them. If they are doing so great without me, then maybe it’s better to stay that way.

    Another way to say it would be “I accept your decision about our relationship. It was horribly painful at first and I had a lot of tears, but I really worked myself into the point of honoring and respecting your choice. So for now, I am doing okay. I still love you like crazy, but I am in a place of acceptance.”

    Do you feel the difference?

    What do you think about all of this? What is the current status? Has he contacted you again? What does he mean he wants a clean slate? Is he asking to come back?

    Heidi

    in reply to: Are you all with the wrong MAN!!! #15396
    Heidi G
    Moderator

    I am actually really curious….what inspired you to write on this forum?

    in reply to: Are you all with the wrong MAN!!! #15395
    Heidi G
    Moderator

    Hi Tiara!

    Welcome! You ask a really good question!!! One thing I had to realize a lot as I was learning and growing and dating the “wrong” guys…was that those “wrong” guys were actually just was I needed. Many times we need to learn through pain and discomfort. Many times we learn by being around a certain kind of person that will ignite a fire inside of us to fight for more. It’s a strange human condition I think. Why do we need to learn through pain??? I don’t know the answer to that, but I what I do know is that pain is a great motivator!!! So instead of calling someone “right” or “wrong,” (those are judgment words) I call them “more effective or less effective. Even the “wrong” person is still effective for us….maybe not the MOST effective possible, but even if they bring an incredible amount of pain and chaos into our lives, isn’t that still effective for growth?? What do you think?

    I’m glad you are able to forgive the woman who stole from you. She needs that from you! Are you still dating?

    Heidi

    Heidi G
    Moderator

    Heidi G
    Moderator

    Hi Stephanie,

    I understand you are confused. Anyone would be as he shutting you out of his world, so you are left to wondering what the heck is going on. This is definitely HIS limitation, not yours.

    I said awhile back that I am wondering if he is carrying a BIG secret that no one knows about and that is what is really causing such a big reaction and such low self esteem and depression. One thought I had at that time that maybe he cheated. My guess is, if he cheated, it was something that just happened vs. him falling in love with another girl and starting a relationship. Who knows…what I do know is that SOMETHING is really eating away at his spirit and you have no idea what it is….only he does. So I suggest to stop trying to “figure this out” because you can’t. And frankly, it’s not really your job to. It’s his job.

    So let’s look at what happened on July 3rd. Everything was great until he got back to the house and went into the room. He obviously got triggered again and began to sink. VERY NORMAL for someone carrying a million pounds on their shoulders. They can have good moments, but they always return to the heaviness of their life until they finally face it. You did the best you could in trying to handle all of it Stephanie. This is an incredibly difficult situation and it is quite normal for you to have some bigger reactions as well. Your whole world has changed! So be kind to yourself. You are doing the very best you can. You are here, talking to us and learning how to better support him and learning some new skills. Well done!!!!

    What I suggest for you, as far as moving forward, is to just accept the present moment. No one knows what will happen…even tomorrow. You obviously are not willing to give up yet, so you get to stay and fight…and that’s okay! So that means NO MORE EXPECTATIONS!!! That is what really got you into trouble on July 3rd. You were hoping he would stay the night. Your disappointment would trigger him into feeling all of his low self esteem and how he is letting everyone down. So for now….expect NOTHING from him. You live your life the best way you know how. You have fun with him, you listen when you can, but no more expecting hugs and kisses or for him to stay the night. It’s not going to happen right now. He will offer that when and if he is ready. Until then, keep yourself grounded in the truth that he is completely unavailable for you right now. The guy you knew before is not there anymore. He is who he is RIGHT NOW…which is depressed, emotional and unpredictable. That’s about all you can count on at the moment. So I think it’s a great thing for you to just back off. No more texting, no more I love you’s and just see what happens. Try it for week. Give him a ton of space and let HIM create all the situations and be the leader. Just see what happens.

    And you are correct. What you said about the dishes IS NOT the reason you are in this situation today. Again…he has been carrying around a million pounds and what you said that day may have just tipped the scales. That is HIS choice to carry that much weight and it is NOT YOUR FAULT that he chooses to live his life that way. He is paying the price for his choice to do that now. He is so miserable, but apparently not in enough pain that he is willing to do anything about it. It’s unfortunate.

    In regards to him asking “what if we end up back here again, having this conversation down the road?” There is something you need to connect to Stephanie. It’s VERY possible you will end up back here again with him. He is someone who doesn’t communicate, therefore, truth be told, you don’t know him very well. You can only know someone as much as what they are willing to share and he doesn’t share is REAL thought and feelings with you. He has a whole internal world / conversation happening that you have no clue about. So he is actually being more realistic about your relationship that you are. You cannot promise forever to anyone. It is not a promise that you or anyone else on the face of this earth can make. People change, life happens and that means promises are broken all of the time. The truth is, he does not handle confrontation or his feelings in a healthy way. Even if you were to get back together, you most likely would end up right back here again….maybe 10 years down the road or 20. THIS IS WHO HE IS! He doesn’t talk, she doesn’t share and he tries to bury all of his hurt feelings until his tank starts overflowing that he can’t contain it anymore. That’s where you are at with him right now and that’s why it is overwhelming. It’s important for you to really see him for who he is. No matter what you say or do, it will not change him and how he chooses to live his life. If you don’t want to end up back here again, then HE needs to be willing to learn a new skillset and get some help so that you guys can handle challenges TOGETHER. You keep taking so much responsibility for why things are the way they are. Of course you contributed, but his choice to bury his feelings for years is HIS choice. Now he needs to face himself and hopefully start to make new choices.

    What do you think about what I said about him getting some help with a psychiatrist? What do you think about me mentioning that he probably has suicidal thoughts? What do you think about YOU getting some help??? A therapist or a coach to guide you through this very intense time. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

    Heidi

    in reply to: How to influence My Man from Afar #15381
    Heidi G
    Moderator

    Hi Melissa,

    How long has it been since you have communicated with him?

    Heidi G
    Moderator

    Hi Kim,

    I understand your fear and your question about whether or not you can wait for him to be ready. What I hear from you right now is that you really care for this guy. All you have is this present moment. All you have is right now. The more you spend your energy trying the figure out the future, the more it will disconnect you from what you do have right now. If you feel like you are NOT ready to leave this relationship, then be okay investing in staying. Learn to be okay with his struggles. He is going to have them, maybe forever. It has nothing to do with you! But what those moments are, are windows of opportunity for you to show your support and understanding. That builds trust…that builds friendship….that strengthens the bond. So look at the moments of his struggle as an opportunity to be with someone when they are in pain and offer comfort. Be present with him vs. thinking about the future. You will deal with it, when the time comes. Trust that if there comes a point where you need to talk about more of a commitment, you will handle it at that time and no sooner. For right now, be with him and focus on strengthening the connection.

    Does this make sense?

    Heidi

    in reply to: Beautiful 11 year relationship lost to another woman #15379
    Heidi G
    Moderator

    Hi Julie,

    Your whole world is being turned upside down right now. I am so sorry. Seasons like these are INCREDIBLY difficult and “not knowing” the outcome is beyond challenging and uncomfortable. Hang in there! You are doing a great job so far!

    I am wondering how old your husband is. 50’s?? There is actually something that changes in the brain for men in their 50’s where the usual walls and barriers of their negative experiences of life get unleashed. It feels like what he may be going through would be a mid-life crisis kind of thing. Has he ever done a triathlon before? Is exercise and important part of his life? Of your life? My guess is, this really has nothing to do with you in particular. I’m sensing it has so much to do with him and all the junk he is carrying on the inside….and what happens when people make super sudden changes, there is usually something that has been buried for a loooong time that begins to come to the surface. The person very rarely connects to what is REALLY happening…the core reason. All they know is that they feel uncomfortable. All they know is that something needs to change. So they look at their current life and they blame it on something in the present and make changes that way.

    It was not a mistake that you told him you were not happy with the distance. Distance is very difficult and you have every right to express a desire for a change. I also would not blame this change on a lack of communication. This woman came along and there is a connection between them. That is what is causing this change. He is choosing to respond. That is what is causing this….NOT YOU! Even if you contributed to his desire to separate, you are just human and you need a partner to talk to you about things and work WITH you vs. leave. You are doing the very best you know how. Yes…there are some things you could have done different, but that is what life is all about. We all could say that every situation. That’s how we learn. So be kind to yourself through this.

    The other possibility is that he just didn’t feel the way he really wanted to feel with you. This woman that I know was with her guy for 9 years. They loved each other dearly and I really liked their relationship (from what I could see). Then an ex boyfriend contacted her over email and they started talking. There was a part of her that got activated. This part that “woke up” made her realize how she didn’t feel about her current guy. She LOVED and RESPECTED her guy very deeply, but she realized she was missing something all those years. She is not moving forward with the ex boyfriend at all, but talking to him a handful of times made her realize that she just didn’t feel how she wanted to feel. She up and left and it all happened within 2 days. He was shell shocked and completely didn’t see this coming. He has been working with his coach for a handful of sessions and now is feeling much better about the whole situation.

    I don’t know what is going on with this guy and I’m not even sure he would know. What I want you to really think about is maybe giving him the space to figure this out. I know you would take him back right away, but truth is, he is VERY confused and were he to come right back to you, nothing would get resolved inside of him. There is something he needs to deal with inside of him, SEPARATE than you and him together….FIRST and FOREMOST! I wonder if he would be willing to work with someone through this…get an objective opinion, help him connect to what he is really feeling and what is happening. If he doesn’t go down that road, whatever is being stirred up now can just get buried and then he will go through this again in some fashion or another. Are you willing to get some help as well??? This is a MAJOR even happening in your life and shocking! It can help a TON to have someone to talk through, give objective opinions and guide you through this messy situation.

    I know you feel alone. You are right now. You don’t have your best friend there, right next to you, to help you through something even more difficult. I am so sorry about your father. There are a lot of people you can reach out to in order to get some help. I would hate for you to tell your guy, then have him be less than responsive in helping you. It’s just more rejection you would have to deal with.

    I also agree with Kanya, that whatever this new woman is for him, I highly doubt it will last. They have to figure that out though. The more you give them space to do that, the better. In the meantime, it’s crucial that you really up the self-love. What kinds of things can you do to take care of yourself right now? DO ALL OF THEM ALL THE TIME! Connect a lot with friends right now. Connect with family more, if you can. Your poor spirit needs some nurture and that needs to be your main focus right now.

    Heidi

    in reply to: 3 weeks before wedding and he ends entire relationship. #15370
    Heidi G
    Moderator

    Hi Stephanie,

    I want to really coach you through this and help you understand the gravity of your situation. Remember how I said the more “light” you are compared to his “dark” the more it will repel him? I want to talk about this again and show you a different way to be with / around him. So when he mentions a problem or challenge or feelings he is having, I want to invite you to really BE with him in those feelings. You keep saying that you love him and will always be by his side….you are trying to “solve” his pain by saying things like that because YOU are struggling watching him hurt. So if you can just “fix” how he is feeling by your love and support, it will help him not feel bad. Again..he is DEPRESSED!!! The more you say I love you, the more it will make him feel how much he doesn’t feel. HE CANNOT RECEIVE IT right now….he is so shut down and he can’t connect to his love for you. It doesn’t mean it’s not there….it just means that other things are occupying his heart right now. So when he says something about how he is feeling, you want to have your FRIEND hat on. As a friend, you are not concerned with whether or not he loves you. You are just focused on being a good listener. These are the steps you want to MASTER in order to be a good friend.

    1. LISTEN AND ASK QUESTIONS: Listening is the VERY VERY VERY first thing you want to do. NO PROBLEM SOLVING ALLOWED!!! DO NOT OFFER OPINIONS OR ADVICE in this step. Just listen. Get curious about EVERYTHING he says. That means asking him a lot of questions! So for example, when he asked you “would you be civil if we ended up splitting up?” The very first thing I would do is NOT REACT!!! Keep calm and get curious about that question and understand where that question is coming from. That question was a beautiful window into some thoughts he is having….and he is having them enough that he is asking you about it. So a good response would be, “Wow….you know that is an interesting question…and you know what…that’s actually a really good question to ask. I actually don’t know. In this moment, I would like to think that I would be very civil. I would like to think that I am the kind of person that is able to be kind even though I am hurting. But to be honest, I really wouldn’t know until I was in the moment. What I do know is that I love you with every cell in my being and to lose you, would mean I would go through a lot of pain. I do know that people can get very mean when they are hurting enough. So to be honest, I really would like to be civil, but I also know that I may be hurting so much that I don’t know what I would be like. What do you think you would be like? You obviously have been thinking about this a lot and that’s okay. I imagine that can’t feel good for you to be thinking that way. Maybe you have these thoughts because you think it’s the best way to not hurt us anymore. Is that what you are feeling?” This is actually THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU COULD EVER DO FOR HIM!

    2. Step 2 is to VALIDATE: Again….NO PROBLEM SOLVING with your I love you’s and I’ll always be there for you. Those things are good to say at other times, but just for right now, this is more important for him. He has NO ONE TO TALK to, so YOU NEED TO GET HIM TALKING TO YOU!!!! So when he talks about how painful the house is, after listening first and asking him more questions about it, like “give me examples of what hurts for you to see. What does it make you feel like? Sad? Depressed? How long have you felt this way? Does it make your mood worse after you leave here?” Then you head into validation: Ya…I can see how all of this stuff can trigger you like that. I know how hard breaking off the wedding was for you. Seeing all of what we “used” to be is hard for me sometimes too. It’s a lot to take in. When you say, “all of it is just stuff and let’s just get a new place etc.” you instantly went into problem solving mode and that’s actually NOT what he needs right now. His head is barely above the water so he needs support and validation FIRST…..THEN you head into problem solving.

    I completely and totally understand your need to fix. Even though I know better, I still do that sometimes. It really is because I am the one uncomfortable with how the person is feeling, so if I can just “fix” it, then we all get to be okay again. Sometimes it’s okay to do that…but in your particular case, this approach won’t work with someone who is that depressed. You want to be his best friend. You want to create a safe space for him to open up and completely and be honest and have you listen and validate what he is feeling. You will be AMAZED at how much closer than can bring someone. It’s very, very powerful! In your listening and validating, you will get A LOT more information about what is really going on for him. I have no doubt that whatever is inside of him, has nothing to do with you guys becoming distant the past few months. That is just the trigger. It is NOT the reason for all of his feelings. I’m going to burst your bubble, but even if you had stayed connected through the process, or even if you weren’t planning the wedding, whatever is happening for him right now would have eventually shown up, one way or the other. His tank is completely full and he is bursting!!! Again, this is the consequence of him staying silent, keeping all his feelings inside for many, many years! He has never dealt with anything in his life, so planning the wedding was just the icing on the cake. If it wasn’t planning the wedding, it would have been something else…maybe 5 years down the road, maybe a few months post wedding. Who knows! I am saying this because he is having a HUUUUUGE reaction…major, major depression. This level of depression is telling me that he has A LOT going on inside his head and it’s been there A LONG time. Yes…disappointing you is in there, but so is his sister’s death and a gazillion other things he buried. I have no doubt he still loves you…it’s just buried underneath all of the pain and depression. Depressed people live in a very gray world. They don’t feel anything except heavy. They can’t feel love. When he is seeing you be playful with your kids, he is not thinking, what a beautiful site…he is feeling the loss of himself. He is feeling what a bad person he is that he can’t join you guys. He is watching you laugh and very aware that he can’t laugh right now. So instead of it being a happy moment for him, it would just cause him to feel more depressed because he can’t be that. When you asked him to go have some fun and just let loose, again…it would remind him that he can’t. He is just not able to do that right now and so now…here is again disappointing you because he can’t just go be happy and let go. True clinical depression, means their brain chemistry has changed. What happens is..someone will be depressed for awhile and then once they are depressed long enough, the brain chemistry will change. It’s at that point, when the brain chemistry has changed, that they REALLY need some help. They need some medicine because they are too far gone in their brains. It’s definitely something that can be changed over time, so medicine can be a wonderful help until they can get back on their feet. I have no idea if he is at this point or not, but seeing a psychiatrist might be one of the best things he can do at the moment.

    Lastly, I do want to mention something. It is very possible he is having suicidal thoughts. Don’t be afraid of this though. It’s a normal thing for people who are this depressed. It doesn’t mean they will follow through with it, it just means they are wanting out of pain and are feeling very hopeless about getting out of pain. That’s why I am really wanting you to get curious and listen to him. I personally would just ask him straight up. DOn’t be afraid of the answer though. I would say something like, “You know, I can see how much you are struggling. I can see how much pain you are in and how many tears you have inside. I don’t understand all of it and that’s okay. I do know though, that if I were in that much pain all of the time, I would want to stop feeling it. I might even want to just leave this earth. Do you feel that way at all?” Again…create a space for him to be honest and open, so just listening and asking questions, WITHOUT fear, will help him. What you also want to get an idea about is how much of a plan he might already have. So you can even talk about, “I think if I were to leave this earth, I would probably pick using a gun. It would be fast and easy. Do you know how you would do it?” The more detail he has about how he would do it, the more he has thought about it. So find a way to get into conversation about this with him. The sooner you can get him talking and opening up, the less he will sink. He is carrying a million pounds around right now ALL BY HIMSELF! Maybe if he can unload some of it by talking with you, it can help. After talking about it, go look for a psychiatrist. Maybe a week later or so, give him the contact information…give him a few people to choose from and keep him talking!

    I know I just unloaded a TON of information on you. I hopefully did not scare you too much. I don’t want to do that, but I also want you to be aware of the magnitude of what you are dealing with. Forget about whether or not he still loves you. Forget about your relationship right now. Focus entirely on HIM and getting his head above water, because he is slowly sinking and he isn’t reaching out for help. You seem to be the only one he stays connected to and whom he gives little bits of information to. For right now, it’s all about him and not you. For right now, help him get back onto his feet and once he recovers, THEN you guys can work on healing your relationship.

    My heart just goes out to you! I want to help you through this and I hope that what I am saying is giving you some new skills that will work for him. Please stay in touch…even if it’s every day! WE ARE HERE FOR YOU!!! SO even if you just vent, be sad, be angry…whatever, this is a safe place for you to come and be heard and helped. Allow yourself to have some support because you can’t do this alone. Your kids need you, your guy needs you AND you cannot be there for anybody if you are not taking care of yourself. So it’s time for you to start fighting for yourself! You won’t be able to help anyone from a hospital bed!!!! So keep being playful, keep connecting with your children, go have some fun whenever you can. This is a very intense time and you need to give yourself some breaks from it all, so you can keep handling the intensity!

    Heidi

    in reply to: I need help and advise as I’m lost on what to do!!! #15366
    Heidi G
    Moderator

    Hi Danielle!

    GREAT PLANS!!! I love your willingness to focus on helping him through this time as well as helping yourself. You are doing such a wonderful job! Go enjoy that party and go have some good times, as friends. He will definitely feel the difference in the you, whether he mentions it or not.

    If he does contact you and ask why you are not contacting him, just keep it super simple. 1 to 2 sentences at the most. “You asked me not to pressure you. So I’m finally listening and want to honor your requests.”

    If he doesn’t contact you, don’t worry! You have a GREAT weekend planned together and you guys are going to have a good time together!!!

    Heidi

    in reply to: How to influence My Man from Afar #15365
    Heidi G
    Moderator

    Hi Melissa,

    Great to hear from you!!! I’m sorry nothing has changed for you quite yet.

    To be honest, a person’s upper limit is really up to them to take care of. If he has an inherent mis-trust with women, that will ALWAYS be there, no matter what you do or say. HE has to work on that mis-trust himself. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink…and that really applies here. You can be wonderful and do everything you possibly can, but when it comes down to it, he has to be willing to face his fears and forgive his ex wife and forgive himself. If he is not willing to take that journey, then he will NOT be available for any woman. I imagine it probably would be easier if you guys lived in the same town. Being so far apart, it can definitely add to his inability to trust ANYONE. I’m glad he at least recognizes his fear. Many people don’t even get that far, so it’s a good start for him.

    Many times, what can inspire someone to face their fears and low self esteem is a strong connection with someone. That connection (well actually the loss of that connection due to not facing the original fear) can actually put them in a lot of pain and fear, that ends up being BIGGER than the fear to deal with their demons. It sounds like you guys had that kind of connection, but the distance really killed it. Does this make sense at all?

    I just want to ask, as it is a possibility….do you have any inkling that he might be dating someone there?

    As far as the Secret Obsession techniques working in your situation, nothing can work if the person on the other end won’t communicate with you. All of these techniques have potential to shift situations around, but BOTH people have to be connected and open and talking to each other.

    How long has it been since you guys communicated now?

    Heidi

    in reply to: New man troubles and he’s pulled back #15364
    Heidi G
    Moderator

    Hi Hannah!

    What WONDERFUL realizations you have had about yourself! Thank you for sharing them! I’m so glad you understand the importance of these concepts and I’m excited for you to try them out and see what happens! It’s a quick and easy fix once you understand how to implement them and why they are important.

    he really is concerned about his job. He asked a valid question though. Do you feel okay dating a guy who is un-employed?? That’s an important question to really consider as that actually may happen.

    When is your date? What are you guys doing??

    Keep us updated please!!!

    Heidi

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