@epsiloco Also, don't be afraid to fall in love itself. It's good to be cautious and learn more about someone before committing if you know that you don't attract ideal people or you are vulnerable though. But falling in love is truly a learning experience... and I got to see where I was lacking due to it the first time I fell in love. It taught me a valuable lesson... that I could fall in love, start a relationship and then survive the breakup afterwards. Falling in love after that taught me that I could still love. There is a strength to that. These things happen, especially when you are inexperienced and still discovering yourself. I still have idealised views about relationships, but life is a lot more awkward and messy! Especially starting out, or if you don't have much experience with it. You have to be open to learning and improving this.
And as I said, loving yourself and loving someone else is separate... so you may find that you spend your life learning to love yourself but miss out, or you finally get there but find you are inexperienced loving someone else. You have to play catchup when it comes to loving someone else. You may also find that because you didn't get to experience yourself in love, you don't like that aspect of yourself and have to start over learning to love yourself. So, don't rush things but also don't wait too long looking for an ideal. Life is more complex than that.
@epsiloco What I mean is, one way to challenge a belief is to have real-world experiences relating to it. See if your belief is correct or wrong through practice. Like if I have the idea that "I'm unlovable." then having someone consistently there, loving me... if I really examine it then it proves my belief wrong. Because I am loved in my relationship. Not that it dispels the belief that easily!
So, the other one is my capability to love. I get to experience what I am like falling in love. Because I fell in love the first time, I was able to better realise when it happened again. I was better able to see what preferences I have, what combination wins my heart over. But more importantly, I get to see what I'm like when I love a man. How my perspective on life changes, the things that I will do out of love. I think it changes you. Whether that is good or bad, depends. The flip-side of this coin is that I get to experience being loved, that warm feeling... and I get to learn about another human being. To have someone that supports me as I support him, to bond and grow together... it's something that I don't think I can properly articulate. And it's no longer just about me, and for me that can be a good thing... because I can be outside of my own head a bit more, I'm truly inspired due to my feelings of love. I'm sure there is more but that would make this a very long post, indeed. :')
@epsiloco It doesn't have to be active. For me, it just happened both times... I met them online(Separately), got to know them a bit better and before I realised it, I fell in love without meaning to. That realisation of falling in love is special to me... and it is a reminder that even if I struggle internally with liking myself, I can still fall in love. Those feelings are real. That moment happened. So don't worry about forcing it... just get to know people better and it will work its own way into your heart with that person who has the right combination who feels the same for you back. It may not work out but I think it is better to remain open to the possibilities and learning when it happens than closing yourself off to it until the time you have this or that quality. I honestly thought that way before... but then I would miss out.
As for what I've learned? By far, the greatest lessons have related to my insecurities... it gives me a chance to feel those insecurities and to recognise them. I wouldn't know I had them to work on if I never fell in love and tried to have a relationship. I'm still very much a work in progress here, and I have other issues to figure out as well. It is something that I will keep learning about, and hopefully I can learn to cope with it so that I may become healthier. Having my insecurities questioned is a good thing for me, because even though you go through the motions... it's a chance to learn something new about yourself. >>
@epsiloco I think you have the right idea to not rush it. But I don't think you need to master the ability to love yourself first... learning to love oneself is a lifelong journey. On saying that, I don't want to discourage you from learning to master that... but at the same time, I would encourage that you keep an open-mind for that one person who will teach you much more through their love for you and through your love for them.
What I mean is that from personal experience, there are so many things that I've learned through loving my partner. I've had to face myself in ways that I wouldn't have when single, and so it really has been a learning experience... a chance to bond together and to grow together. You really learn about yourself when you are in love, when you try to build and maintain a healthy relationship. You can absolutely love someone else without loving yourself first... it will reveal your capability to love. Perhaps it will open up more doors than you realise for your future.
There are some things you only learn because you are in love.