Levels Of Relationships

I have noticed a lot lately that many guys including myself get attached to a relationship very quickly. Sometimes this can work out and we have lasting, fruitful relationships. However, a new avenue I am trying to take, is the road less traveled. Taking it slow. I have never been able to do this. I get to infatuated with the person I am with, and by doing this I neglect myself. I put aside all my goals and ambitions to make my significant other happy no matter the cost. I have done myself real damage in the past and even in my present life I can still feel and see the evidence of my carelessness.

Now, I am not saying that I will totally flip it around and only care about myself. Merely, that I need to exhibit some kind of caution and be more level headed. It takes a lot to make a relationship work and there needs to be a 50/50 (or as close to possible as that) effort from both parties. I have consumed past days, weeks, months, and many years on relationships that are no where near equal in effort. I can only blame myself. Hindsight really is accurate. I mean, that when you give, give, give... people start to expect, expect, expect. A lot of people forget that they need to do something also. I blame myself because I have always been the one to give without receiving much; I put myself too far out there and get taken for granted.

In order to try and prevent this problem I want to take it slow with people. By slow I mean taking steps toward advances in the way my emotions get involved with someone. I can't continue to wear my heart on my sleeve, because it keeps getting torn off. I am running out of shirts.