So 3,5 years ago, lonely socially awkward kiss-less virgin me decided to go on a journey of self-improvement. I put in a ton of work and gained a large amount of very good friends and I felt more and more comfortable in my own skin. At this point in my life I can say that I really have a great life... with one exception: romance.
Over the years I've had quite a number of crushes and people I've confessed my feelings to. And every time I got rejected. I've tried lots of different things: waiting months to let a friendship develop and really get to know a girl, confessing immediately. I've tried searching actively, I've tried not looking for anyone and just letting things happen. I've groomed myself, started to dress better. I did manage to go on a number of dates, but every single time it resulted in rejection.
I have to add that even though I got much better at talking to people, I do have some moods where I remain socially awkward. Also I have not been blessed for my looks. I'm short (like 99% of all males my age are taller than me), even though I work out my build is tiny and neither my face is going to win any beauty contests.
I don't blame anyone for not liking me back. I always make a point to remain friends even though said confession failed and in a lot of cases it resulted in a great friendship. What bugs me is that I've been working for 3,5 years and still nothing. The most annoying part is the loneliness that comes with it, even though I definitely don't want to feel like that. Is there any hope for me, did it take other people also this long to improve to be good enough to get a girlfriend? Or am I just not made for relationships?