Just Be You

It is said that a lot of times people will pretend to be a certain way when they first begin dating someone then completely change or the real them comes out to play after they have been dating that person for a while. Now, I can understand being nervous in the beginning and I know it is definitely tempting to try to change who you are so that someone will like you or to try to hide your flaws to make yourself more appealing. Here's the thing though, if you're not being true to who you are, you're not being fair to the other person OR to yourself. We all have flaws, we all desire to share our lives with someone special, but if the person you meet thinks you're someone you're not, essentially what you're doing is wasting both your time. You need someone who will love you for you, flaws and all and the person you're dating deserves the same. I'm definitely not suggesting that you "lay it all on the table" on the first date and tell them your whole life story, but you should certainly tell them the important things, things that may alter their decision to date them. Wouldn't you want to know if he/she was really 10 years older than they appear? Or that they really have 5 kids instead of the 2 that live with them? Or how about when they told you they were in school that they really meant they've been in school for 10 years, undergrad, and still haven't completed one degree because they keep changing their major? All I'm saying is, let people make an informed decision and if after you are up front and honest with them they choose to leave, let them. There is someone for everyone and you should settle for nothing. You want someone with your best interest at heart, someone who loves the real you.