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Hangin’ up the Player Ways

Q: Dear Love Jays,

How do you change your player ways and commit to someone not physically present?

A: Dear Changing your ways,

Short answer: self-control.
Long answer: self-control.

Hanging up the player ways isn’t easy. It requires you to be honest with yourself, acknowledging your shortcomings, then committing to self-control and discipline. Temptation lurks at every corner waiting for us to slip up and it’s easy to fall victim if you are not disciplined enough to reject it.

I’ve heard people say, “When you find the right one, it’ll be easy.”, but I don’t fully agree. It will undoubtedly motivate you to get your act together, but it still requires an intrinsic motivation to change. People only change if they want to change!

If you require physical interaction (hugging, kissing, sex, etc.) from your partner and the current circumstances aren’t allowing for that interaction, I find it very, very difficult to fully commit to someone without succumbing to your old ways. It’s not impossible, but it sure in the hell ain’t easy! Why set yourself up for failure and risk hurt or losing a good person? Remain uncommitted and trust everything will work out the way it’s designed!

Sincerely,

Mr. J

A: Don’t wanna be a player no mo’, 

Tough question, easy answer. You just do. Make the decision to change and stick to it. Being a player takes a lot of coordination and effort (more for some and less for others). If you really WANT to change whether or not the person is in front of you is irrelevant. Is it  convenient? No. Will there be challenges? Absolutely. Whether or not someone is physically there should not make a difference as far as commitment goes. Commitment has nothing to do with who is involved and has everything to do with you. Good Luck!

Love,

Miss J

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOEOn3fng9U]

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Jealousy and Insecurities

Q: Dear Love Jays,

How do you control your partner’s jealousy or insecurities?

A: Dear That Darn Little Green Monster,

Unfortunately jealousy is not a trait you can fix in a significant other. There is no controlling another human beings emotions. You can be the most trustworthy person who has done absolutely nothing to compromise your relationship and it still won’t matter. A jealous and insecure person will always find something to be jealous and insecure about.

The decision to remove insecurity and jealousy has to be the choice of the person who is experiencing those feelings first hand. At the base of those two emotions lies a lack of trust. So instead of the foundation being built on trust it will be built on either control, as a result of a person trying to accommodate the jealously issues of the other or anger and rebellion, due to one person not willing to accommodate the jealously issues of the other. Sometimes these scenarios even go both ways.

You would think as a jealous person you would understand another jealous person, but that’s not how it works. Jealousy is a possessive monster, those who embrace jealousy think of their significant other as a possession instead of a partner. That is not love. Love lies in trust and friendship.

This is not to say a person cannot change their jealous ways, they absolutely can; but it is not up to you. The problem source of the problem lies within them, not within your relationship.

Love ,

Miss J

A: Dear Jealousy is for the Birds,

Jealousy is the one trait I never truly understood and possessing it typically results in much more negative outcomes including unhappiness, violence and anger. I’m all for people being territorial of your partner – if you truly care for someone, you will definitely be interested and pay attention to their daily happenings. But when people take their basic care and emotion too far, they will try to control and manipulate the who, what, when, where and why of their partner’s every move. Unfortunately, we cannot control our partners source of jealousy because it often stems from personal insecurities they are refusing to acknowledge.

Relationships are built upon trust. If you cannot trust your partner or vice versa, what’s the point of maintaining the relationship? We are all human. We will say some things to people we shouldn’t have said, go to places we probably shouldn’t go, get a little too comfortable with the “girl/guy next door”, but through it all, we can’t try to manipulate our partner from experiencing these scenarios. Just because our partner is doing something we don’t necessarily care for, doesn’t mean they are out in streets cheating or disrespecting you. You have to live and it’s only fair we let others have the same freedoms. After all, what good comes from being jealous? Don’t worry…I’ll wait.

Miss J and I have kept jealously completely out of our relationship and it has helped us maintain a healthy, positive relationship. Does it mean we don’t question things here and there – absolutely not. It means we are comfortable enough with ourselves and trust we have each other’s best interest at heart. If your partner’s jealousy problems or insecurities are affecting more than just themselves, it’s time to reexamine the foundation of the relationship. Love can take on many forms, but control, manipulation and anger surely aren’t one of them!

Sincerely,

Mr. J

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Friend Zone?

Q: Hi Love Jays,

I’m starting to realize I have feelings for one of my guy friends, but it’s a strange situation. I feel like we genuinely care for each other, but I can’t tell in what way. At first, I was a little afraid that I was in the “little sister” zone, but as we got closer and closer, it all changed. For example, he knows I have a lot of anxiety with getting blood drawn, and gladly came with me to get it done. The thing is, he’s a bit (and by a bit, I mean a lot) of a player and at parties goes after girls he thinks will sleep with him and knows that I’m not up for anything casual. One night, after drinking, he and I kissed several times that night, so I have no idea whether that was a drunk want or just “because”. He also likes to call me pet names, but I don’t know if that’s in a little sister way. While I know he’s not ready for a relationship, have I been friend/little sister zoned?

A: Dear Stuck in the Friend Zone,

There aren’t too many single men in this world who will completely write-off any woman as being a future girlfriend. She could be a complete stranger or a friend for many years, whichever the case, it doesn’t mean things will always stay the same. How many stories have you read about best friends falling for each other? Just like anything else in life, friendships can evolve into something much different.

I have never been one to “blame it on the a a a a a alcohol” when making questionable decisions. You mentioned he is a bit of a player and likes going after girls who will sleep with him, so it’s very clear he knew exactly what he was doing when deciding to kiss you. It doesn’t necessarily mean he is trying to sleep with you, but I can assure you he wouldn’t prevent it from happening if you decided to take it there.

Simple answer – you are not stuck in the friend/little sister zone. He is looking to have fun and is willing to participate with anyone who is up for a good time. If you aren’t for anything casual, I would suggest not hooking up with him; no need to cause yourself any more confusion.

Sincerely,

Mr. J

A: Dear In the Zone,

There is no such thing as a single man keeping a woman in “the friend zone”. NO SUCH THING. A man may value a friendship and not want to ruin it at that moment; but for the most part, until a man is settled down, every woman is fair game.

Also, he kissed you. I will say it again, He. Kissed. You. And you kissed him back. You liked it and I am sure there are no complaints on his end. Yes, you were drunk. Drunken words/actions are sober thoughts. When a friendship takes a step in the direction of it becoming something more there are typically a lot of nerves/butterflies involved. You both just had liquid courage, it is totally normal.

While I am almost positive you have not been “friend zoned”, you still may want to proceed with caution. You mentioned he is a player and my gut is saying he probably cares for you, but he has some “tendencies” he needs to get out first. The kisses you shared were probably the result of you both putting your feelers out there.Now that he knows he may have a shot with you he might slow down with his player ways.

For your part you should figure out what it is exactly you want and what you expect from him. If you come to the conclusion you are better off friends then that is that; but if you definitely want to explore something more than a normal friendship you are going to have to drop the liquid courage and the kisses and have a heart to heart.

Love,

Miss J 

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Below Average Sex

Q: Dear Love Jays,

Can you maintain a healthy relationship if the sex is terrible?

A: Dear It’s just not good,

If you are in a relationship and sex is an active ingredient, it will be very difficult to maintain a healthy relationship for a long period of time. Sex is the way our body communicates our feelings for another, good or bad. We have all had those intimate moments when our feelings are running high and the intimacy level is off the chart, yet we have also had those terrible moments when our head just isn’t in the right place and the sex is well below average.

Though it is not the only way of expressing our feelings, sexual intercourse definitely plays a strong part of maintaining intimacy. If you aren’t having sexual intercourse, you have found others ways to be intimate with each other, but once the leap is made, it’s our responsibility to treat our partner correctly. Some may suggest that we can teach them how to “sex us”, but if both aren’t emotionally and physically rocking to the same beat, it’s bound to collapse at some point. Let’s not forget about sex drive, either. If you are always ready to hit the sheets, yet it’s like pulling teeth to convince your partner to join…the relationships will slowly break apart.

It’s important to discover your feelings about sex and communicate it openly and honestly with your partner. If you’re not very good, let them know. If you don’t care for it too much, share that information too! Once everything is in the open, each can decide what route to take next!

Sincerely,

Mr. J

A: Dear Close but No Cigar,

Is it possible to maintain a healthy relationship with bad sex? Sure. Is it likely you will be able to maintain a healthy relationship for an extended amount of time? Probably not.

When a couple decides to get physical, sex is high on the “needs to satisfy” list. Bad sex is just not satisfying. Period. Of course you can always attempt to teach your partner what it is exactly that satisfies you. If they can keep up, great; but if not… well…

As a woman I can say (for the most part) sex is an emotional act. We correlate the quality of sex with the intensity of a man’s deep desire to love/want us. Everyone is allowed an off day, but if it’s consistently bad that could be a sign. Think of your body as a puzzle, some pieces fit together perfectly and others don’t fit at all because they belong to another piece. Your partner may not be “bad” per say, they just might not be compatible with you. Good luck!

Love,

Miss J

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Not a Fan of my Girlfriend’s Boyfriend

Q: Dear Love Jays,

I wanted some advice on how to deal with a close friend and her boyfriend. The guy she is in a relationship in my opinion is a terrible influence on my friend. They have broken up in the past and during their break, all of our friends shared with her their real feelings on him. Instead of us being sad for her during the split we were all so excited because no one likes him. They ended up getting back together and since then I never like asking about her boyfriend because I have nothing nice to say about him. I feel like he is a loser and she is lowering her standards for him, hoping she can change him. She seems to really like him and I don’t want to constantly disapprove, so I say nothing at all. I want her to be happy but is it okay to just sit idly by and say nothing and let it run its course?

A: Dear Do you Have to Date Him, 

As hard as it may seem,yes, you have to say and do nothing. It’s really hard to watch the people you love make bad decisions.As long as she is not being abused and there are no signs of abuse in the future, you pretty much just have to sit and watch. If she asks for your advice/opinion then you are free to share. If she just needs to vent and does not want your  two cents then keep your mouth shut. Easier said than done (I am still learning this).

I want to draw you attention to some things you wrote.You said, “In my opinion [he] is a terrible influence on my friend” and “I think he is a loser”. Notice you did not write, “In HER opinion…” and “SHE thinks he is a loser”. Unfortunately, what you think is irrelevant unless prompted by your friend.

My mother always taught me when it comes to a friend and her man you have to tread carefully. Women are automatically defensive when it comes to matters of the heart, if your friend is keeping this man around chances are she has made a place for him in her heart. Her heart, her choice. Just remain as supportive as possible and don’t dwell on her relationship because it is not going to end it any faster. I am a very protective friend and I really can relate to your concerns. I know you are coming from a good place of genuine concern, but your friend is perfectly capable of making her own decisions. Maybe there is a lesson she needs to learn and in order to learn that lesson she needs to go through this experience.

I want to be clear…as I stated before, if there is any abuse or any potential for abuse you should definitely state your concerns. Also know that part of abuse is isolation, if he knows you are on to him he will do his best to manipulate her into cutting off your friendship.I sincerely hope this is not the case.

Ready for the silver lining? You know a pig when you see one.  Congrats!

Love,

Miss J

A: Dear When being a friend is tough,

Friendships are invaluable. Whenever we are going through a difficult time or just need someone to make us smile, we can always count on our friends to be at our side. These are the people who run in our closest of circles and have our best interest at heart. We share everything with them and love listening to their advice, but when it comes to expressing our concern with their significant other…it all changes.

The defense walls shoot to the heavens, irrational excuses counter logical points, our friend feels attacked, frustration spews from our pores…the list continues. The conversations keep circling with no direction or progress, then slowly, both parties distance themselves from each other.

It’s hard to watch our friend date someone we feel doesn’t fit the mold, but it’s not our job to make those decisions. You are entitled to giving your opinion; it’s on your friend to take it or leave it. Continually bringing it up will only drive a wedge between the friendship, so you have to accept what you can’t change and hope for the best. Our only job as friends is to actually be a friend, so focus your energy on positivity and ride it out!

Sincerely,

Mr. J

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A Broken Engagement and A Broken Heart

Q: Dear Love Jays,
Hi, thank you guys for your great advice. I’m here once again for more advice. I was engaged and in love, but he happened to be a very jealous and controlling boyfriend. I thought that things would have gotten better after I told him how I felt and how I wanted us to have a healthy relationship. Things got extremely bad. 🙁 . A few weeks later, I found out he had profiles on more than 5 hook up (sexual) sites. I couldn’t believe it. It broke my heart. I called the wedding off and we’re no longer together. He still says he loves me and wants to be with me but he’s already posted ads to hook up with girls and have one night stands. Its like, did I ever mean anything to him? The worst part of all is that I still care for him and I miss him. I’m scared that years from now I’ll regret leaving him. Am I wrong to feel and think this way?

A: Dear My ex-fiancé was controlling, jealous and posted ads to have one night stands with other women, yet I miss him and may regret leaving him,

I’m going to keep this real brief – respect yourself.

You were in love. You were engaged to be married. You committed 5 years of your life. It’s hard and it’s not fair, but you owe yourself the opportunity to be loved, respected, and admired by someone who truly understands the meanings of those words. Don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed that you still care and love him – be encouraged at your power to love even when someone hasn’t given you any reason to love them. Imagine the love you will demonstrate towards the person who loves you just the same?

You must stand firm on your two feet and boldly proclaim and understand your worth! Fall back in love with you. Learn from your mistakes. Grow wiser. Smile. Change is patiently awaiting.

Fear is crippling and will prevent even the strongest people from moving forward, but those who conquer fear usually never regret it.

Sincerely,

Mr. J

A: Dear Am I Going to Regret This?,  

I am willing to bet years from now, if you had not left him, you would regret staying. Give yourself some credit and trust your first instinct. Your gut told you that you were better than how he was treating you and you deserve better. Guess what? Your gut was right!

Men like that know how to manipulate you; of course he is still telling you he loves you. He even may think that he does. But ask yourself this, is the way he loves you/is capable of loving you well enough for you? The answer is no. Every woman worth her grit deserves more than that.

It is normal for you to still have feelings for him, after all you were engaged. Try not to confuse your feelings of loss with regret. Sometimes those feelings do go hand in hand, but in this case you dodged a bullet. You could have ended up spending the rest of your life dealing with issues like this, but instead you broke it off and the possibilities of finding a genuine and healthy love are endless.

So, will you regret choosing happiness? Doubtful. Hang in there and stay strong! 🙂 

Love, 

Miss J 

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