Relationships are messy and there is no way to eliminate the bumps and potholes, but we don't have to make them any more difficult than they already … - Robert A. Glover

By trying to please everyone, Nice Guys often end up pleasing no one — including themselves. Seeking

"Breaking Free Activity #39 Consider going on a sexual moratorium. Consciously refrain from sex for a predetermined period of time. No matter what your sexual situation is, it can be a powerful learning experience. Most guys initially resist the idea, but once they make the decision to do it, they find it to be a very positive experience. A sexual moratorium can have many benefits: •​Helps break dysfunction cycles. •​Eliminates pursuing and distancing. •​Releases resentment. •​Allows the Nice Guy to see that he can live without sex. •​Helps the Nice Guy realize that no one else but him holds the key to his sexual experience. •​Helps the Nice Guy see how he settles for bad sex. •​Eliminates fear that the Nice Guy's partner can withhold sex or approval. •​Helps the Nice Guy pay attention to the meaning of sexual impulses. Whenever the Nice Guy feels the impulse to be sexual, he can automatically ask himself, "Why am I feeling sexual?" •​Helps break addictive patterns by eliminating compulsive masturbation, pornography, and other addictive behaviors. •​Helps the Nice Guy begin to address feelings he has been avoiding with sex. Before beginning a sexual moratorium, discuss it with your partner. It helps to set a specific time. I suggest three to six months. It can be done. Decide on the parameters of the moratorium. Once you have begun, pay attention to slips and sabotaging behaviors, from both you and your partner. Remember, it is a learning experience. You don't have to do it perfectly."

Interestingly enough, when Nice Guys take responsibility for their own needs and make them a priority, those around them benefit too. Gone are the covert contracts, the guessing games, the anger outbursts, and passive-aggressive behavior. Gone are the manipulation, the controlling behavior, and the resentment. I learned this lesson first-hand a few years back.