How soon is too soon?

I believe the one thing I get judged the most for is how soon I start dating after a break-up.  It's only natural.  Everyone has a different view on how long a person should mourn before getting back out there.  My method seems to be very effective for me.

The timeline goes a little something like this:

Day 1 - 3:  Cry nonstop for several days.

Day 2:  Log on to my various online dating apps and check out what's out there.

Day 2:  Receive many ridiculous and sometimes offensive but still hilarious messages from both                      attractive and horrendously unattractive men.

Day 7:  Actually reply to a few messages.

Day 8 - 13:  Go on a few dates.  These will probably fail miserably.

Day 13 - 30:  Continue to cry and date.  Date and cry.  Hang out with friends.

Day 31:  Actually go on dates with men you can see yourself with.

Day 32 - 45:  Second dates with those men.

Day 46:  Realize these men aren't for you and let them go.  Much to their disappointment. 

Day who the F knows...:  Actually start to develop feelings for a new man.  Yay!

This time around I met a lot of quality new men right from the get-go!  I attribute this to my recent move to a larger city and some new online dating apps.. *cough* Tinder *cough*  Yes I said tinder.  I'll get back to that later.

Anyway I was getting really frustrated at one point because I was seeing all these awesome guys but I wasn't developing any sort of feelings for them.  Was something wrong with me?  Or could it be attributed to the fact I hadn't had time to properly mourn Ray?

A friend of mine has the theory that i'm still holding out hope that one day Ray will realize his mistake and come running back.  This may or may not be true.  Doesn't everyone have that problem though?  There is always going to be the 'one that got away'.

A close mutual friend of mine and Ray's insisted I try and take some time for myself.  Stop trying to fill my free time with dates and as cliche as it sounds - learn to love myself again.

I couldn't help but argue though.  I already love myself.  I already enjoy spending time by myself.  I think i'm able to be this confident being single because of how fast I try to move on.  It's a fast track to realizing whoever I was dating isn't the only man interested out there.  Girls tend to get hung up on the idea that if that man she spent so much time with couldn't love her then no one ever will.  I don't have this problem.  This friend was worried I was scared of being alone.

If I was scared of being alone I would have jumped into an exclusive relationship right away.  I would have settled for one of those great guys I met early on, and trust me they wanted me to!

A women who doesn't love herself wouldn't have been able to walk away from these amazing men with her head held high.  

"I think the operative word is dating. Many times an adult’s definition of dating is getting involved in a serious committed relationship... but who says you can’t go to dinner and catch a movie with someone new? Too many people see dating as a process to the end game, marriage. As opposed to getting out there and meeting new people...." - Daniel Beaver

I look at dating as an opportunity to meet new people and experience new things.  I've met some awesome people whom I still hang out with through dating websites!  So I'm happy with how I handle dating after a break-up.

Tell me, how do you feel about dating after a breakup?