Time spent learning more about yourself and what excites you is never wasted time.
Do you want to be loved, or do you want to be yourself?

Platonic relationships can also have depth and emotional intimacy.
Connections don't need to be deep and long-lasting to be meaningful. Don’t discount the power of casual acquaintances.
Why do you only need to open up to one person - be it your partner, or a best friend? Why not open up to many more?
"Lose weight, dress better, play hard to get, act confident, get out there more - in other words, fix yourself if you ever hope to find love. That’s not self-improvement. That’s self-punishment in camouflage. And self-punishment doesn’t lead to healthy love [only blame for our imperfections]." The aspects of ourselves that we try to fix or cover up often end up being what we need to accept and embrace to find love and intimacy.
Ken Page, Deeper Dating: How to Drop the Games of Seduction and Discover the Power of Intimacy, 2015, pp. 3-4.

My reflections