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SPIRITUAL DATING
beliefnet
When Should I Talk About My Past?

Don't wait to share painful experiences and feelings. Being open is the right thing to do, both for your partner and yourself.

By Rabbi Shmuley Boteach Updated: Jul 20, 2008
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
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Dear Rabbi Shmuley, I am in a relatively new relationship (2 months) with a wonderful man who I'm developing strong feelings for. I've had a lot of unsuccessful relationships in the past, and I want this one to go right. My question is, how much should I share about past relationships, and when? For example, I'm divorced, which is something that my boyfriend knows. But he doesn't know that my ex-husband was unfaithful to me, and many other details of my marriage and other past relationships. Can I disclose things like that to him without seeming like I'm testing him next to these other men? When is the right time to share the "biggies" of your life, both good and bad?-- Ready to Talk
 
Dear Ready,
Two months should not be considered the early stages of a relationship. You are well into it by now. And you have to open up.
One of the major problems affecting modern relationships is that people cannot communicate. They are too inhibited, too afraid, or even too bored. Emotional openness, as expressed through intimate conversation, is a cornerstone of every good relationship.
You have been scarred in the past. So you need to do it right this time, and not bury your experiences and feelings.
“Tell your boyfriend you want to share something important with him.”
Tell your boyfriend you want to share something important with him. Tell him that you love him and care for him. In the past, a man who you felt similarly for hurt you to the very core by cheating on you. Admit that as a result you have had major trust issues. Tell him you know it's a fault born of a scar, and that you are trying to heal yourself of it. Nevertheless, you wanted him to know, not because you suspect him of cheating. You know that he is an honorable man and would not do that. Rather, you are telling him so that if it ever seems that you are slightly closed, he'll understand why.
Tell him also that you know this not an excuse for emotional distance, and every person has to work on transcending their painful experiences in order to once again become whole. Nevertheless, you wanted him to know about this piece of your past, just in case he translated your reticence as rejection.
Now, coming back to you, you can't be in a relationship that is governed by fear.
“Stop being afraid of being yourself.”
Stop being afraid of being yourself. You'll never be happy, and you'll sabotage a good thing with your boyfriend in the process. You have to learn to be comfortable with things that are on your mind and not be afraid to share them.
By the same token, you can't make the mistake of judging one man by your experiences with another man. Not every guy is a jerk. Not every person is untrustworthy. You have to recapture your mental and emotional virginity, entering each and every relationship as if it is totally new.
Remember, your physical virginity can be lost. But the purity of the mind and heart can always be regained.
Want more spiritual relationships articles? Check out Beliefnet.com
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, host of the national TV show "Shalom in the Home" on TLC (The Learning Channel), was also named by Talkers Magazine as one of the hundred most important radio hosts in America. Rabbi Shmuley is also the international best-selling author of 17 books, and an acclaimed syndicated columnist who in 2005 won the American Jewish Press Association's highest award for excellence in commentary. He is on the web at shmuley.com.
Leave a comment COMMENTS50 COMMENTS
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A Yahoo! Contributor
&quot;Please stop being Gay, this is bad for your soul, your are (well I think you mean &#39;you are&#39;, but whatever) going straigth (I think you mean straight) to hell. God loves you&quot;... WOW. Yeah, doesn&#39;t sound like a &quot;loving God&quot; to me. Sounds like some self-serving humanistic nonsense. You should try being yourself instead of God for a while, I don&#39;t think God would appreciate you talking to one of his children like that, nor do I think you write well enough to consider your words divinely inspired.
A Yahoo! Contributor
To # 26, what the hell do you think a Rabbi means you insenstive indiot ! Have respect for a man of God. Would you say that to a Minister or a Priest . In case you did not know, Jesus was called Rabbi by many who sought after &quot;his&quot; wisdom for advice.
A Yahoo! Contributor
who the hell said anything about this person being gay? what in the hell does that matter? if you&#39;re catholic, christian, jewish, lutheran, whatever! god loves every soul that devotes his/her self to his principles and beliefs. whatever this person is asking for is simple guidance. what do i do? how much do i let this person know? all i know is that i have been burned very badly by not asking these very important questions in advance. you should all quit being bigggots and try and remember that we&#39;re all here for the same reason.
A Yahoo! Contributor
Wow! If the religious community could reign in the preaching of hatred and judgments, then they would take better strides in gaining unity in a very fractal faith system. For instance, stop getting caught molesting underage congregation members. Big steps are always followed by the little ones. This inspirational message brought to you by the letter &#39;P&#39;. ~A Pagan
A Yahoo! Contributor
theres nothing wrong with being gay and its not a mental sickness jerks. you cant even spell.
A Yahoo! Contributor
life is short. i have not always lived by this, but our purpose in life, during the short years we have, is to honor christ. maybe god blesses with a mate, maybe he doesn&#39;t. a lot of the disciples were so busy being persecuted, they never had time for much of a family life. we have been fortunate to live in a better society than the one christ lived in, and have some measure of freedom to honor him.
A Yahoo! Contributor
Wow, what he just said is very true. If you trust your self to love again, you can trust your self to be honest & open with him. Most guy like it when we share our deep feelings & emotions with them, so try it. You will thank your self later for it & good luck to you and your new found love. :)
Joel
sounds like good advise
A Yahoo! Contributor
Assertively say what you feel, don&#39;t soak up attention from it, deal with it, and move on to the happy parts of the relationship.
A Yahoo! Contributor
Whoa, Rabbi, in today&#39;s real world, you do not tell a guy you love him after two months. What you should be telling a woman who&#39;s been cheated on before is that she needs to hold in mind that there is someone for her who will be faithful. She has to believe this. I totally get it about not wanting to waste time, especially because there are so many players out there, but, if the woman believes she deserves to be respected, she has a greater chance of attracting that respect. This woman can ask the guy what things he values about a relationship and maybe get some insight. She shouldn&#39;t ask how he feels about anything, because guys HATE that. She should ask what he thinks instead, but not too often. I had a lot of unsuccessful relationships, but finally met the love of my life. Funny thing, I&#39;m the love of his life as well.
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