1. It’s understandable if someone is “not looking for a relationship right now,” but if they honestly wanted to be with you, they would make an exception.

2. Putting yourself out there is certainly terrifying, but nothing is scarier than sitting safely in the corner and having to wonder about what could have been. 

3. As long as you’re respecting yourself enough to date guys who treat you well, none of this is wasted time.

4. Remember that with every relationship you have, you are understanding more and more about what you need and want in another person.

5. On the other hand, if you are not dating guys who treat you well, stop romanticizing it – there is nothing okay about being lied to, mistreated, or disrespected.

6. The noncommittal guys are more often available for a reason – they’re not looking for anything deep or long-term, they’re just out-and-about, looking for who’s available right now.

7. The type of guy who wants a real relationship is not harder to find – it just takes longer to find him because he’s moving slowly, carefully, and conscientiously.

8. There is nothing wrong with you; but there could be something wrong with the types of men you’re deciding to give your time too.

9. Remember that there are two sides to every story: your friend who is madly in love may seem over the moon, but nobody’s life is ever perfect.

10. ‘Talking’ can be understandably more appealing because it’s instant, immediate, and mysterious – you’re not silly or naive for being drawn to it.

11. But real love takes a much longer time – it is slower, more patient, and multi-faceted.

12. It’s tempting to hate on the person who broke your heart, but you’ll move on much faster if you let go and focus on taking care of you.  

13. When you’re really into someone, your heart may try to trick you into ignoring all the warning signs – being blown off during a date, sensing that truth is being withheld, feeling more insecure than you’ve ever felt before.

14. The best thing to do for yourself when you feel like you are falling for someone is letting your brain and your gut have as much of a say in the matter as your heart.

15. It’s a bad idea to have a checklist of every single thing you want in another person, but you should certainly remember that you deserve someone who makes you feel happy, safe, respected, and cared for.

16. Walking away from someone who’s wrong for you hurts, but it’s a pain you’ll come back from way faster than the broken heart you’ll receive down the line.

17. Listen to the people who love you most; if someone is undeserving of you, the ones who love you will be much more honest with you than you’ll be with yourself.

18. The nice part about all of this is: when you finally find a good one, you’ll definitely know.