We have all been there. You know when you like someone who sucks. Someone who isn't into you, or someone you think you can change. Think Justin Bobby from The Hills. I could really end this article there, but I won't...even though he really did suck. My dating life is A+ material for what not to do. I have come a long way to admit that. I let a lot of things slide while dating because I wanted to feel pretty and worth something. I didn't demand for a guy to respect me, to make me feel like the standard of beauty. I let it go. I thought red flags to be flaws that can simply be ignored. Truth is, when you dismiss red flags, you're taking a stab at yourself.
Okay, here are the top 5 red flags that I dismissed, so you will not (yes, every one of these happened to me in real life):
1. He keeps in touch with his ex-girlfriend (who, by the way, had crazy-eyes):
This one can be tricky. Sometimes ex's can be friends but 95% of time they cannot. There's a reason he is still in touch with her and it is most likely because either one of them has feelings. You deserve a man. A man who has eyes for you and you only.
2.Calls/texts you past 10pm and not a moment before:
This is possibly the biggest red-flag of all the red-flags. He wants you for your body and that's it. Don't let this @$$hole treat you like an object. If he does not contact you when the sun is out, delete his number and never look back. Listen, he may be extremely attractive; suave even, but it's an act he puts on to sleep with you. It hits you a million times worse, if you don't walk away at the beginning.
3. He says he's not ready to go public with you:
This is a bunch of crap. There's a reason he's saying this and it's not good. Someone told me once that if he says this, you need to peace out. I can't give you a reason as to why he says this crap because there are several possibilities. A man will want to take you out, show you off to the world; be proud to be with you.
4. He is on Tinder while he is on a date with you:
Yeah, true story. My friend saw him. I laughed then and I laugh again. Sure, the date wasn't going very well, but I could never imagine being on Tinder while a guy is treating me to dinner. So rude. So demeaning. It was such a slap in the face by him and by reality. I say this again because it's important: on a date if a guy isn't giving you his full attention, something is up.
5. Tells you he's The Grinch. He doesn't get feelings:
Not my proudest moment. I shake my head at past Kelli. Man. If I knew my worth two years ago, I would not have let that fly. He was saying he doesn't get feelings for anyone and he doesn't/never had feelings for me. Jackass, I know. You need someone who feels the same way as you do, if not, it won't work out. You'll end up crying in a Red Robin with a few good friends comforting you.
Ladies, you're inconceivably beautiful. If a guys leads you to believe otherwise: punch him and come find me and I will help you demand better than I did. I cannot stress this enough. The right guy will not be The Grinch. He will make you feel loved and he definitely won't be on Tinder during your date.
If you don't demand the best for yourself, who will?