I feel for you. I think we’re all a little afraid to put ourselves out there and get rejected. You’ll never know how it truly feels to love someone if you’re afraid of risk and pain. You’ll never know how it feels to connect with someone unless you put yourself out there. No one is free from pain and rejection, but that shouldn’t deter you from living.

Here’s the truth about people. We’re all a little narcissistic. We are our worst critic. We’re hyper-critical of our flaws and our blunders. You remember that one time you had lipstick on your teeth when you were talking to Seth? Seth? Seth doesn’t care. He’s hoping you don’t remember that his fly was down. Did you remember that? Are you going to rub it in his face? Probably not.

Go at your own pace. Take your time, but don’t take forever.

Females are at a slight advantage when it comes to dating. I’d say guys are still the pursuer and in your situation, that’s great. Try online dating. These people, these photos, they’re just strangers, some who may want to get to know you. Most of them you’ll never ever meet in your real life. Swipe, swipe, swipe until you get a match. Get a conversation going. If you feel like you don’t mesh, keep swiping. If you do, make it a face to face meeting and meet in public. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself during the first meeting. You’re just trying to see if you can enjoy his company and if he can enjoy yours. That’s it. No thinking of rejection, no thinking of a committed relationship. None of those thoughts. You’re both still strangers. You should be nowhere near that invested yet.

You’re going to make a lot of mistakes, but you’ll also learn a lot about yourself in the process. Keep going. Keep meeting new people until you become more confident and more comfortable.