You felt that you would be good for relationships because you have what it takes to be in a relationship. You are build for relationships since you have big heart, amazing capacity of love and sensitive soul.
Thats how I felt about relationships and girls most of my life. I seen couples doing normal little things, really simple things that I dreamed about for years and they seemed impossible for me, just didnt knew how to get there. But that changed when I started dating. So I think thats the key answer for you too - start talking with girls and start dating them. From there just see how far you can get and look at dating like at something exciting and challenging. Even if its just a way for few hours to escape your reality and problems, get to know someone new and talk, be social with someone. Girls are really different and so are the interactions and feelings while spending time with them.
Yeah it takes that jump to meet someone you never seen before and been only chatting or to ask someone out who know only a little. But dating is also about being adventurous and getting out of your comfort zone. Until you become numb to fear and are comfortable on first date as much as you are comfortable with talking to your mum. Confidence comes from experience.
I talked with this girl Im seeing now about how damn lucky I been with girls who didnt even reply to 100 times more experienced guys. And she said how many guys are just looking for sex and gives off that vibe. A lot of heartbroken guys who cant love or dont even believe in love. Also I been hearing from girls that guys they meet act like girls own them something, are arrogant and act like kings.
If you come to date without expectations and just looking to have a good time, are interested in girl, see her as a human and not object, can show that interest and appreciate her(celebrate girl with a girl as Julien from RSD said) then you have so much more chances than most guys. If you have just love to give then thats already a lot. I think ability to give and take love is most important in life and thats what we learn life long. Could be easy to open up and share with a nice girls. What helps is being open minded and honest, giving a girl taste of your flavour. Just being who you are and talk like you know a girl already.
Not saying you have to touch girls on first date but even that becomes easy if you take dance classes where you are in contact with girls(Remember Kromat on here years ago? He took salsa dance classes and then started dating for first time in his life in his thirties, it changed his life)
So just as you told me more than year ago here - become social. Open your communication channels, talk with girls and ask them out pretty soon and perhaps talk even with guys to socially warm up. Sure it can be scary(meeting a girl after years break from dating) at first but look for support in friends and close people. Have your support system. I have this book - 50 great date ideas, that I can share with you if you give me your email. So its not necessary to ask girl out to eat and pay for her food. Theres a lot more original interesting and more cost and time effective ideas. But even from basic banal date setups you can progress a lot of you tweak them a bit and are can carry a conversation. Most guys cant do that(carry a conversation).