Love & Dating & Relationships Manifesto: If You Don’t Like The Playbook, Re-Write The Playbook

I suppose I’ve spent my entire life doing whatever the heck I have wanted to do, and when nothing that I liked existed, I just went ahead and created it.  High school, college, grad school, work, you name it, I’ve probably said forget the box, I’m doing my own thing in this circle over here I don’t really care what anyone else says, so there.  Which makes me realize, why would dating & relationships be any different for me?  If everyone else is doing it one way, doesn’t that mean, from previous experience, that I should probably be doing something completely different that works for me?  Which is why I decided to write this manifesto- for all those people who think life is too short to play by the rules.

1. Love: I realize that I have always been surrounded by so much love that I have taken it for granted.  I never, even a day in my life, questioned the fact that I am probably one of the luckiest (and most loved people) in the entire world, because my family (and extended family i.e. friends) made me feel that way.  All the time.  Actually, I take that back.  The only reason I even knew I took love for granted was my recent experiences in Bangalore. However, even more recent events have made me realize that I am crazy, and I am (still) one of the luckiest people in the universe.  But back to the point.  That also means that right from the get-go, I will make you feel like one of the most loved people on the planet as well. Just because you exist.  And I expect the same from your end, mostly because that’s just what I’m used to.  I’m sorry if that is strange.  I just don’t know how to interact in any other way, because those are the only relationships I foster in my life.  And honestly, I don’t think I want to go about changing any of that.  Love is a good thing, I have decided.

2.  Dating:  I don’t go out with many people.  On purpose.  I have only really been interested in even dating 4 people in my entire life (yes, the number is so small I can count the guys on one hand).    Only 2 in the last 3 years.  Yes, only 2.  And yes, last 3 years.  I’m just that type of person, what can I say?  Am I jealous of my friends that can fall in love every other week? Heck yeah I am.  But for better or worse, that’s just not me.  So I’m not going to try and be them. If I am not interested, I will just say so.  I’m really not into going on dates for no reason.  And vice versa. If I like someone, I usually just try and put it out there.  (Well, try is the key word, execution still needs quite a bit of work).  Maybe that is strange, but I suppose I would kick myself if I didn’t find out, and I really refuse to live with regret.

3.  Relationships:  If things get to this point, I have probably already imagined our children and our lives together because lets face it, that’s the only way I would have even been interested in taking things this far.  That’s just how it is.  Maybe it’s because I run a company and I always have to be thinking 5 years ahead, but I think it’s just more a function of the fact I love my time too much to enter into things that I don’t think have any sort of future.  Especially things that can derail me from accomplishing the things I want to in life.  If I have found someone worth spending time with, then that means that it’s serious.  And it’s worth thinking about another person besides myself in life, which is a pretty big deal.

Those are the new rules.  The Anu Play Book. For Anuday.

#gameface.