Hi ladies! I've been a long time lurker and have really benefitted from all of the great info from the sidebar and posts! :)

Anyways, I've been dumped by the man that I was dating a little while ago and have been wondering how to prevent this from happening in the future. I've spent a lot of time thinking about what I could have done differently. He said that I was a great person and he liked spending time with me but it wasn't fair for me since he had been very busy with changes at work and with school. I was really understanding of his situation but deep down I think the real reason had something to do with me because otherwise he would have still wished to maintain the relationship, right?

I'm 22 and this was my second relationship. I am really disappointed that I've failed with it and it has really affected my confidence. I always work hard on staying fit and taking care of my appearance and I've been keeping myself very busy (learning new recipes, networking, spending time with friends, meeting new people, volunteering, and studying).

How can I make my next relationship last? I don't want to go through a string of short-term relationships, I'm looking for a relationship that will eventually lead to marriage. I thought I was on the right track, but something must be missing in me if I can't maintain a relationship?

I have to admit though, it takes me a lot of time to be vulnerable and to be my full self with people, is this something I need to fix?

Thanks a lot in advance! :)