Dating is growth
You sit across from someone and you don't perform. You don't smooth over the edges. You don't laugh at things that aren't funny or agree with things you don't believe.
You just show up as you are.
That's the part most people skip.
They think dating is about finding the right match. It isn't. It's about being willing to be seen clearly and walking away when it doesn't fit.
My wife and I weren't auditioning. We were just there.
When it didn't feel right, we said so. When it did, we leaned in.
Some of the men and women I work with have been in relationships for years and still don't know if they're actually compatible. They know what their partner does for work. They know his or her habits. They don't know if they actually see them and love them for who they are.
Because they never asked. Because asking means risking the answer.
Dating taught me to ask early. To leave when I was done. To stop treating discomfort like a problem to solve.
Growth isn't staying and hoping it gets better.
Growth is knowing when to be direct, and stay or walk depending on how honest the answer is.
