Nothing less than wonderful

I feel like I've settled in relationships before. Not that the men I "settled" on were not quality men for whom I had honest feelings and with whom I could have had a great life. They all were, and I would have been lucky to be with any of them.

I just feel like I was settling by not looking for exactly what I want.

From Joel Osteen's Facebook Page

Are we all guilty of that? Of feeling like...

• I'm tired of dating and looking for "the one." This guy is here, he likes me, and he gives me most of what I want. Easier if I just stick with this one.
• Well, I can't have it all - romance, money, looks, sweet, smart, funny. Something has to go.

Sure it's great to give everyone a chance. You never know when you'll meet your Mr. Wonderful - but one thing's for sure, you'll never meet him if you're not meeting new people.

It seems like there's a fine line between finding excuses to shut people out, and acknowledging reasons to not pursue a relationship. So if you meet someone who is Mr. Practically Perfect, is it settling if you stay with him? Or is that just realistic, and not being closed off?

If we know we want a relationship, does it make sense to have a checklist, find someone who meets the minimum criteria, rush into a relationship - and then worry about things like trust, communication, romance, etc.?

Or should we keep meeting people, keep looking for that connection - for that Mr. Perfect - and refuse to stop until we find it?

Do we run the risk of passing over something terrific while we keep searching for wonderful? Or is that just faith and hope alive and well inside our hearts? Are we self-sabotaging our own love-life, or are we making room for the perfect love we believe is in store?

I'm not sure I know the answer, but more and more I believe that I don't want to settle for anything less than wonderful.