I find it hard to understand how some people are able to get into relationships so quick

I’m 39 and recently went on my first date this year, but my past experiences with dating haven’t been very positive. I’ve often felt like the men I’ve talked to or been with weren’t looking for anything meaningful with me, and I’ve never really understood why. Sometimes I wonder if it’s related to my personality or how I come across, but I don’t have clear answers.

I see people around me getting into relationships or forming connections pretty easily. My coworker is now exploring something more serious with someone she started casually seeing, and a close friend of mine moved on from a breakup into a new situation not long after. I truly support and care about them, and I want them to be happy—but at times, it’s hard not to feel a bit left out or discouraged when I compare it to my own experience.

At work, I enjoy listening to others talk about their lives, but when the focus shifts to me, I sometimes feel like I don’t have much to share in that area. It can make me feel disconnected or like I’m missing something important.

I don’t fully understand how some people seem to form connections so frequently, and I’m still trying to figure out what I can do differently—or if there even is something I should be doing differently. It’s been weighing on me, and today I needed to step away for a bit because it was starting to feel overwhelming.