Relationships, as we all know, are a tricky business. Even though the way they're portrayed in the media is rarely the way we experience them in real life, most of us still hope and wish to find that special fairy tale romance - it's what keeps us going through our dating years. People often say that upon meeting their future mate, they just "knew" they'd found the one. But until we actually experience that deep feeling of "knowing", we can spend years in the dating pool, learning about ourselves, and learning about what works and what doesn't. Inevitably, we will… more

Finding someone to be in a long-term relationship with can take time, and along the way, we can certainly experience many twists and turns. While many of us choose to believe that fate dictates where we end up, we mustn't ignore the fact that the choices we make influence the final outcome also.
There are certain personal responsibilities we have in order to make the best of our dating life, like getting rid of emotional baggage, and also figuring out what we want and need in a partner. While the term "playing the field" may arouse connotations of being… more

Not many things can beat the excitement and anticipation of getting to know someone better that you're attracted to. Maybe you met through friends, while speed dating, at a singles party, or at some random place like the gym. Your first date has been scheduled and you can't wait! But as the date approaches, you start getting butterflies. And not those pleasant little ones, but the ones that jab you in your stomach and make you feel kind of nauseous. Where before you were having happy daydreams of how perfect the date was going to be, you're now increasingly filled… more

Hopefully we made some improvements in 2010 that will help us gain more perspective about our lives and ourselves, bring more happiness to our daily lives, and get us closer to our long-term goals. Now that we've begun 2011 and the dust has settled, it's a great time to make those New Year's Resolutions, specifically those of the dating variety. Being organized and clear about what we want to bring into our lives will definitely help us stay on track, so make a list and refer to it throughout the year. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

2011… more

As human beings, we like to have closure; we like when things have a beginning, middle and end. Of course this doesn't always happen in life, and time doesn't always wait for us to do what we want to do. But the beauty of such an obvious landmark like a year (or decade!) coming to its close, is that it's a perfect opportunity to reflect on the year just passed before we launch into the next one. And in keeping with the spirit of self-betterment for a positive future, we can ask ourselves certain questions to gain perspective on our… more

As we wrote a few articles ago, being single during the holiday definitely has its advantages. You don't have to deal with anyone else's family dysfunction, you can come and go as you please, and you can dedicate more time to your close relationships. As much as being single can relieve some of those holiday pressures though, the season is still fraught with the stresses caused by traveling, family dynamics, packed schedules, spending money, overeating - the list goes on and on. If we think ahead though, we can counteract some of that stress and help our holiday season run… more

Do you sometimes feel like you're dizzy from having been on the dating-go-round too long? Like no matter how many people you meet, you never seem to meet the right one, or, you engage in relationships that start off well but either don't go anywhere or go down the path to destruction? All too often we took outside of ourselves to find the happiness and the life we desire; we think a relationship or a person can be that "missing piece" which will make us feel whole. And even for those of us who may know on an intellectual level… more

Have you ever had an inexplicable attraction to someone? Someone who, on paper, doesn't seem to make much sense but yet you're strongly drawn to them? Opposites attracting has been a hotly debated topic for years, but if we really dissect it, it might not be such a mystery after all... Relationships, when utilized properly, are not just something we engage in to pass the time or to provide distraction. They can provide comfort and security yes, but they also provide us with a perfect atmosphere to grow and learn about ourselves, and in turn we can help provide the… more

The holidays can be joyful, nostalgic, fun - and stressful. With all the shopping, family get-togethers, office parties and work deadlines, it's funny, (or not-so-funny), how a holiday about peace can be anything but peaceful. And when we're single, the holidays can seem even harder, with so much pressure attached to the idea of finding that special someone. Having to answer relatives' questions like, "Are you seeing anyone?" is the last thing any of us want to do - especially during the holidays. So... what if we changed our perspective and started looking at the positive side to being single… more

So you've just started dating someone new. You're in that amazing beginning phase where you get butterflies at the very thought of them; they're sweet, there's chemistry and you really feel that potential of it turning into something great. At some point, you decide it's time to start integrating them into your life; you want to introduce them to your friends and show off how special they are. The only problem is, they never quite hit it off. You thought it was a no-brainer, you love your honey, you love your friends and they all love you - how could… more