I’m a
competitive shopper. In the past few weeks I have bid on at least three things
that as soon as I became the highest bidder, I didn’t want.
The information
was in the listing: there was no false advertising; no revelation of a hidden
meaning or twisted phrase. After the competition of bidding was complete and I was
sure of winning, I just didn’t want what I thought I did.
To be fair,
I was settling.
I was
looking for a laptop and bidding on a notebook or looking for a Rockband guitar
and bidding on a Guitar hero one; I even bid on an item from someone with more
negative comments in the past six months than items I had bid on. I couldn’t
seem to help myself. If other people wanted it, I had to have it.
“Please don’t
let me win, please don’t let me win,” I prayed after bidding on items. Thankfully,
my prayers were answered. I was able to walk away and watch someone else swoop
in without feeling a need to win. But they weren’t my competition; I was.
If only I didn’t
also do that in relationships.
How many
times have you pursued someone you didn’t want in the first place? Against your
better judgment, you’ve gotten babysitters, rearranged schedules, and rationalized
for someone you didn’t want to be with but wanted to have?
Stop.
There is no
such thing as competitive dating. There are no prizes for dating down; no medals
for settling and no theme songs for dipping out with the underdog.
Starting today, go
after what you want; walk away from what you don’t.