Show notes
Today we’re going to look at the benefits of outgrowing your ex. I had the pleasure of interviewing Brandon who is not only going to give us some insight into the male mind during a breakup but he’s going to share his amazing story on how he was able to recover from his breakup. So, if you’ve ever wondered, The types of thoughts that men have as they go through a breakup Why outgrowing your ex is essential How you can handle a breakup with dignity This is definitely the success story for you. What Are Your Chances of Getting Your Ex Boyfriend Back? Take the quiz Learn How Brandon Outgrew His Ex Chris Seiter 0:02All right, today, we have a kind of a special treat, you know, most of the time on the podcast or on the YouTube videos, we’re talking to women success stories. But today, we’ve got a male success story. And it’s unique in all kinds of ways. So I’d like to introduce you to Brandon. And we’re just going to kind of organically talk and go through a situation. So how are you doing, Brandon? Brandon 0:24I’m doing just fine. Just making it through. Chris Seiter 0:27Alright, well, Brandon, just now is recovering from COVID is Vax. But still, despite that, he got COVID. And he’s starting to just now feel better. So we’re, we’re, I feel lucky that you’re good enough to actually come on here and do this. Brandon 0:45Yeah, it’s okay. It’s not too bad. It’s my pleasure. Chris Seiter 0:49All right. So why don’t you take us back to the beginning of like, how this relationship with your ex formed the break up, and then we’ll kind of keep going through there. Brandon 0:57Yeah, so um, so a little bit about me. Um, so I swim in college. I live in Georgia, but I go to school in Alabama. So it’s kind of far away from home, but not really. And when I first got to college, I had a girlfriend actually. But it was long distance. And I just told the girls like, look, I care about you. But this isn’t going to work. We’re both not in places in our life, where we can make this happen. And so it just happened to be that my ex was there. And so um, we kind of hit it off, like from the start. And like, we it was just, it is basically kind of how like, the story is always goes like, you know, the gun fired. And it was just off to the races. And, you know, we were on the same swim team, we did everything together, like we were in, even in the same clubs somehow, like, she was basically like carbon copy of me in a way, except, like a little different, like I was maybe going to school for business marketing, and she was doing business accounting. And that was pretty much the main difference. But I mean, really, were really started to change was, as we both got older, I started wanting to do things a little bit more independently, you know, away from the team and kind of grow up a little bit more. And she wanted to get closer to the team. And that’s where some of the strife really started. And then I had my own personal issues with the team and everything like that. So ended up just causing like a really weird situation. And that’s where we, that’s how we got to where we are now. Chris Seiter 2:22So how long total from when you met her to when you break up? Did you actually date like how many timeline was days? Years? Once? Brandon 2:32A week before two year anniversary? Okay, that’s pretty pretty long time. And Chris Seiter 2:42like, how serious was this rule? Sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt. Brandon 2:45You’re fine. You’re fine. You’re good. You’re good. Like, seriously, that was pretty serious. Chris Seiter 2:49So you were like, like, potentially, like marriage down the road? Things like that. Brandon 2:54Oh, dude, I It’s funny. You say that all summer I had actually, I saw a coach on a swim team. I actually got a second job to pay for a ring and had actually planned on buying a ring this semester, this upcoming semester, had told my whole family like grandparents, parents, sister, like I was like, guys, like she’s the one like she’s literally like, amazing. Like, I love her so much. And, you know, um, we ran into this issue where she wanted to go to law school. And I told her, I was like, Look, I will follow you when we first met. I told her like, I’ll follow you to law school, you know, because she was like, I’m gonna go to the big SEC school. And I cool I can do that. It’s plenty of business opportunity. And then, over the summer, she goes, I want to go to Stetson University in Clearwater, Florida. And I was like, I mean, it’s got a great law program, but the business program is like, not good for an MBA. And that’s when she told me she was like, well, if we’re gonna do some long distance, I don’t want you to pop the question until after that. And that was Red flag number one. And, I mean, it was it was pretty serious. Like, we were talking like marriage, like when we were gonna, like, you know, propose, like, you know, that kind of stuff, talking about post college, like, where we wanted to go together. I mean, her family would, or at least at least, her mom would always be like, your family to us. Like, she texts me all the time and be like, thank you so much. Like, you’re so great to our daughter and stuff like that. But yeah, no, it’s pretty, pretty serious. Pretty pretty up there. Chris Seiter 4:24So this is a very serious relationship. You didn’t buy the ring yet? I’m hoping. No, no, thank the Lord. But you were thinking about it. And so eventually, you kind of allude to some problems on the swim team or some friction there and yeah, and like, what exactly causes this breakup? Is it just like a confluence of factors or is this like one clear thing? Brandon 4:51It was, it was everything to be honest. I mean, like, you know, without without like, getting to nitty gritty in it, but like the whole attachments styles and everything like, avoid. Definitely a lot of avoidant behaviors we’re in, we’re in all of it like, and I saw that for some reason it was in all of our relationship, but because of my past relationships, I was actually somehow able to be like, Hey, here’s what we can do. And it just worked. It just worked for two years. I don’t know how, but um, no, it was just, it was a lot of things. Um, I kind of butted heads with a lot of people on the team. I used to be like, like, our freshman year, we were the inaugural team, I was very, like, prominent, like, I did a lot of like, Captain like things at first. And then I didn’t get voted in to be a captain or sophomore year. And that kind of hit me really hard. Because, you know, growing up, I’ve always been, you know, that guy, like, I’ve always been, like, I’m not the, I’m not the fastest, I’m not the best. But, you know, I’m, I’m gonna be a leader. And so that hit me hard. And then the team kind of just took a turn culture wise that I wasn’t, I didn’t like and so I butted heads a lot with people. And then also, during all of that, I hit like a huge injury like, like, like, spree over two years, like that I cannot explain. I wasn’t really in the water. And then people kind of like, spun that and got very judgmental about it. And we’re just saying that I didn’t want to be here, they were making up stuff about me. And it’s just kind of created a very toxic environment for me. And, you know, where it really put a wedge between us with the team was, there’d be days she’d go to practice, and I wasn’t there because I’m sick, I’m injured, I can’t be there. And I was told not to be there. i My coaches and my trainers, and people were like, where’s Brandon? Like, where’s he at? Like, why is he not here? What’s wrong with him? And all the time, and all the time? And then, you know, people also being like, Oh, I saw you in Brandon walking the other day out of like, this building, and stuff like that. Just, I think the way and then I put it was just people that needed to grow up a little bit more. I guess. Like, it’s really? Uh, Chris Seiter 7:00yeah, I mean, to me, it seems a little bit of like peer pressure. Yeah, coming at it from from her ankle. So like, you know, you got the swim teams kind of like, why are you still dating that guy? He’s like a trader? And maybe that just begins to weigh on her potentially? Who knows? A bunch of immature babies, for sure. But yeah, eventually this breakup does happen. So we do know, you know, kind of the whispering in the ear seem to kind of get through a little bit. Brandon 7:33Yeah. And, yeah, I mean, when the breakup happened, you know, it, it didn’t hit me by surprise. And I could feel to pull back and I hated it. Because, you know, I wish I could, I wanted to do so much to help not get those pull backs. And, you know, at first I was like, Okay, I’ll just mirror it, you know, because that’s what I’ve always done is if they pull back, just give them their space, wait till they come back. Because that’s just that that’s just what a healthy relationship does. And so I would do that. But then, you know, every time I messed up, it was almost as if it was like, tenfold and, like, something just triggered on her, or like in her and, you know, it just got to a point where the day of the breakup, we’d had a fight, because I had asked, I’d accidentally because my job cuz I’m an RA. They’d planned something over our anniversary. And our, like, our anniversary night. And I felt so bad. But the only catch was, is that because we’re so busy with swimming, is that we had planned to do something that weekend anyways, and so I just told her, like, Hey, can we just move it to this weekend, like, I’m gonna be really busy that night, I was like, but we can still hang out. I just have to get this, this project done right after practice. And she did not like that at all. And she was saying stuff like versus the anniversary than it’s other things. And, you know, after after practice, we made up and she was like, you know, I love you so much. And then two hours later, she hits me with like, Brandon, I just think your pride and your ego and your anger. It’s just too much for me. And she was like, I just don’t know if you’re the one for me anymore. And I was like, oh, like I literally and all to it. Like the Wind, like the wind, the breath out of my lungs were just gone. And so I told her, I was like, Well, what do you want to do? I’m like, what can what can we do for you? Is there anything I can do for you? Because, you know, I don’t want you to feel like this. And, you know, it was kind of at first it was mutual, because I thought I told her like, let’s just take a break. I was like, I’ve been feeling burnt out too because like the stuff I was telling you like the avoidant behaviors just feeling like it was like, I had to be perfect all the time. And no, no, she was like, No, we just need a break up the next day, like the next day she comes in. She’s like, we just need to break up. This is it. I was like, oh, okay, that’s cool. Chris Seiter 10:00You know what, what’s interesting about it is it seems to me she was like looking for maybe months, any excuse to like leave, flee any authentic excuse to leave and kind of like, the good guy. And like, the anniversary thing might have just been like, Oh, this is the perfect excuse. And then, you know, I feel like potentially what was also going on is, when you offer the break in initially, she’s kind of like, Alright, we’ll see. And then the next day kind of goes by and she’s like, No, I think ultimately, it was always a no, she just didn’t want to be like that girl. That was Yeah. You know, like, gonna be like, no, like, No, I don’t ever want to date you again. She wanted to kind of she didn’t want to hurt you. Which I think, I think in a weird way ends up hurting you more, because it kind of like prolongs the breakup a little bit. But obviously, it sucks to get broken up with and probably you also have this feeling of like, Oh, she just chose to swim team over me because of all the friction and Brandon 11:02yeah, yeah. Chris Seiter 11:04So Alright, so now we’re gonna get to the fun stuff here. What? What did you do any kind of the typical crazy behaviors after the break up? Or were you pretty well behaved? Brandon 11:16Look, I, I would say the craziest thing I did. And I did two things that I really think are crazy. Besides like, maybe talking to the team about it being like, hey, like, she mad at me like what’s going on? Like, because it hit me by surprise. Because two days before that she was telling our team like some of our teammates in a room. She’s like, Brandon, I’ve been together for two years. And our coach talks about swimmers dating is such a bad thing. We’ve only had one issue ever. And it was a pattern too, because the year before that, literally almost to the day, we had had a similar issue where she like almost broke up with me. Chris Seiter 11:53Like around the anniversary. Brandon 11:56It wasn’t about the anniversary, but it was like, two days before our anniversary the year before. Chris Seiter 12:01I feel like that’s a tipping point for her for whatever reason, like and you kind of see this was avoided some time. Like there’s always like these weird tipping points in relationship moments where they’re just want to pull back. And it was just too much for Brandon 12:15Yeah, well, I mean, I was her first and like, you know, I hate having like, like, like putting it onto that. But I was her first real boyfriend of any type. And her parents are separated too. So I was just like, okay, um, but no. So I didn’t really do much of like the begging or pleading, I think what I did do was I think I texted her like, the next night at, like, 1130 at night and I said, Hey, so are we like, dun dun. And, and she goes, Yeah, that’s what I told you, isn’t it? And I was like, okay, just making sure because our pictures are still up on Instagram. Like, you didn’t take down our one year anniversary posts from last year. And she goes, Why just don’t want to be petty like that. Um, but like, it just it didn’t make any sense to me. I was like, Okay, I was like, but yet you just told me this morning that like, and then, you know, I went back and read it later, I was like, Okay, well, she was really hurting. And I was being selfish. And I thought about myself. And typically, that’s how like it happens in breakups is when we’re upset, we only think about ourselves. But then like, the next week, I, you know, I got I got lit with some friends that night, or like that, that weekend. And I like ran into her and she like, yelled at me and was like, laying into me. And all this other stuff. Because I used to hate drinking used to hate it. And then through the relationship and through just growing up, I learned to enjoy it. And not not just like enjoy it, but like, learn my boundaries. Because I have a very like traumatic past with it. My mom, like, went through a program or whatever. Um, so just just, it’s just, it’s run in my family, like, not even her like just passed. And so, um, you know, just trauma with that. And so basically like, I was just like, Why are you yelling at me? And the next day, she, she blocked me on everything, everything like and she found out I had like love like it. Oh full like hard luck, like and in and well she found out that I had gone at Tinder to based off of some guys recommendations. They’re like, just just start swiping. And I was like, okay, like, why not? Chris Seiter 14:25What irony there is, wouldn’t she need to be on Tinder also to find that out? Brandon 14:31Well, she found out through her friends. Her friends told her I was like, Yeah, I mean it, but she took it the wrong way. She was like, You’re just there to hook up with girls. If you just want to like get your body count up. That’s the way to do it. And in my head, I’m just like, I just want to feel better. Chris Seiter 14:47Like you just like looking for a distraction to dull the pain. I think he’s like an accurate way of putting it which is like a completely normal grieving process. And it’s funny, like I often talk about…
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