Filed under: Celebrity Love, Dating, Love Analytix
Many couples -- such as Terius 'The-Dream' Nash and Christina Milian, Fantasia and Antwaun Cook, and even Kanye West and Amber Rose -- would have benefited from knowing when to pump the brakes. Most recently, singer Monica and L.A. Lakers player Shannon Brown are a classic example of this. Monica -- who has already tatted Brown's name on herself -- became engaged to him after dating for only four months. After receiving a great deal of criticism from fans on Twitter, the 'Everything to Me' singer was quick to defend her decision.
"We realize people will have their opinions, but we know who we are & who's we are," she tweeted. "We pray 2 an awesome God 2gether....I'm realistic enough about life to know my journey has just begun. I don't have anything else to say about it 2 people who judge. If u worked on urself u wouldn't even see me."
Celebrities aren't the only victims to acting swiftly in love, many of us have been guilty of the same thing. When feelings are so fresh, attempting to apply logic almost always proves futile. We either find ourselves, like Monica, on our way to the alter and defending our actions, or snapping to our senses after realizing that things aren't really what they appear to be.
Love has a way of causing us to lose our common sense. Sometimes we wind up making decisions based on what feels right versus what actually is right. Rule of thumb: If you think you are moving too fast ( it's been less than six months), you probably are. Here are seven tell tale signs you're rushing into love.
1. You've said "I know it's been ___ days/weeks, but I feel like it's been forever."
Time does fly when you're having fun, but real and deep love takes time to foster. Slow down!
2. You've moved the relationship to the next level and you haven't introduced him/her to your family or friends.
Do you really expect to inform everyone about your ring and your man/lady at the same time?
3. When someone asks you to talk about them you begin with, "I think I have met my husband/wife."
Chile, it'll be ex-husband/wife if you don't slow down.
4. Everyone is telling you that you are moving way too fast.
If your close friends or family -- the people who know you best -- think you're rushing into things, they just may be on to something. Listen to the people you trust the most, they have your best interest in mind.
5. You fell in love over a vacation.
Although the time spent was unforgettable, it is usually short lived. We all know what happened to Terry McMillan...
6. You don't know his/her middle name, but you've already talked about moving in together.
If you don't know the basic facts about the person, they what makes you think you're ready to join your worlds? You could be looking for apartments and be completely unaware of the fact that she uses five different aliases in three other states.
7. You talk to each other and start every convo with, "I never felt this way about anyone."
Warning: This is also known as blind infatuation - Approach with caution.
Shirea L. Carroll, is a published journalist who has written for Essence, VIBE, Washington Post's Theroot.com, XXL's Juicy, and AOL. Reporting on everything from music and entertainment to celebrity and love, she's interviewed some of today's biggest celebrity names. Find the NJ native on her blog Invite Only, or follow her on Twitter @InviteOnly to find out "who is and isn't invited."