If you can’t judge a book by it’s cover apparently you can judge a person by their smart phone.  A recent study done shows that android users are more likely to have one night stands and iPhone users are more likely to have multiple partners.  So the next time you are checking out a guy to see if he’s worthy of an approach – watch to see what smart phone he uses.  You might get a bit of insight into what kind of a date he might be.

Android users are more likely to be slutty, it transpires – having more one night stands, signing up to dating sites more often and being more likely to have sex on a first date, according to a Match.com survey of single Canadian mobile users.

The figures are a dramatic reworking of previous research in the area that suggested that iPhone users were the most likely to be sexually indiscriminate – having the most sexual partners of all smartphone owners according to a 2010 OKCupid survey.

On the delicate question of first-date sex, the difference between smartphone-owning singles is statistically slight: 62 per cent of Android them say they’ve had sex after one date compared to 57 per cent of iPhone users – it’s the Blackberry owners who stand out with only 48 percent saying that they have.

A clear take-away from the Match survey is that BlackBerry owners must be too busy, er, doing business, to engage in either dates, one-nighters or sex. Only 50 per cent have visited an online dating site compared to 58 percent of iPhone users, and 72 per cent of Android users.

Fifty-five per cent of Android users in the Canada survey said they had had one night stands – the most of any phone owners, apparently. We’ve asked Match.com for the stats on one night stands for iPhone and Blackberry users but have had no response.

iPhoners are the most likely to date a co-worker, with nearly a quarter saying they had an office fling in the past five years, perhaps because they all work in graphic design and don’t have any real work to do.

BlackBerry owners are either more romantic or more decisive: with 67% of BlackBerry users say they have experienced love at first sight.

Anyway, daters of all phone types like email and texting. Seventy-five per cent of the Canadian singles in this rigorous survey think their love lives have benefited from email and texting. Though obviously their love lives haven’t benefited that much because they’re still single. Just saying.

Click here to read the full article.
Do you think we can judge someone by which smart phone they choose to use?  Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

There are so many ways of communicating available to us now that it’s difficult to keep track of all the avenues we have.  You can text, email or instant message.  You can Facebook someone or follow them on Twitter.  And of course you can always do the old fashioned thing and pick up the phone and call someone; but this is a rare thing nowadays.

There are differing opinions on how technology affects our dating lives.  Some people believe that it has helped and others believe that it has hindered.  It’s up to you how you use technology in your relationships.

“A phone call, especially now, is a really polite and thoughtful thing to receive,” said Kate Carraway, advice columnist for the Grid. “It’s the equivalent of how people used to send flowers. Now a phone call is really impressive.”

Canadians, however, seem eager to bring their gadgets into bed. A recent survey by the dating site Match.com revealed 75 per cent of Canadians believe e-mail and texting have improved their dating life.

Match.com hired Kimberley Moffit, a Toronto-based psychotherapist, to talk about the results. Like Carraway, Moffit is often peppered with questions about when to add a date on Facebook, or what a text message really means.

Moffit works in Toronto near Yonge and Eglinton, where available twenty-somethings cruise each other with a tenacity rarely seen outside of gay villages. Some call it Young and Eligible.
She said her young, smartphone toting clients often ask about love and technology. “ People might be asking for advice on how to date online,” Moffit said. “ Or even if they’ve received text messages or e-mails, how to decipher them.”

She thinks technology has helped the dating scene. “We may not have had the opportunity years ago to send a quick text message and say ‘I’m thinking about you and I miss you,’” She said. “This is the kind of thing that can increase the quality of our relationships.”

Moffit and Carraway may disagree on texts, but they give similar advice on when to send a friend request. Moffit said not to add someone to Facebook the moment a first date is done. Looking through their photos and friendships will lead to snap judgments which too often will be wrong.

Carraway agrees. “The way people express themselves online is very different from how they are in real life,” she said. “It’s much too easy to get a distorted view of who they are, what they think and what their values are.”

So when is it OK to add? Maybe when you’re ready to commit to a relationship status change. Carraway said it’s best not to do it before the relationship has had time to grow.

“I’d say until you’re an established couple,  stay off of each other’s social media,” she said, adding to decide whether you will be dating based on your interactions offline.

Carraway doesn’t hate technology. In fact, she loves Twitter for work and her social life. But when it comes to love she thinks it’s best to turn the computer off and set the smartphone aside.

“I think when people consider their dating and sex life on the same par as their work and social life, that’s when they get into trouble,” she said.

Click here to read the full article.

How do you feel that technology can help in your relationship?  Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

Sometimes we get into habits that aren’t healthy for us.  We all have a dating ‘type’ and I think it’s important that we examine this type to figure out if it’s a healthy choice for us or not.  We can often get caught up in a trap that we aren’t even aware of and wonder why our relationships never work out.  It’s time to ask some questions and break some bad habits.

Q. Why do we form dating patterns?
A. We assign qualities to people based on very little information (he lives in a certain area, has a certain job, acts a certain way in public) and believe those qualities are what we need in a guy. I’ve met people who have said, “I would never date a shy guy,” assuming he would be boring, and then realized the person was interesting and fun—he just wasn’t as outgoing as their usual “type.”

Q. How can you tell if your dating pattern is bad for you?
A. When you go out with the same type of guy, expecting different results from the ones who have burned you before. You’ll know your pattern isn’t working for you if you’re constantly playing the same frustrating role in your relationships. We need to stop focusing on who the guy we’re dating is and look at who we are with him. Are you crazier than you’d like to be? More confused than ever? Focus on how you act around him to see if your pattern is working.

Q. Okay, so how can you break a bad pattern?
You have to be honest with yourself to figure out what your pattern is before you can break it. Ask yourself: If my dating life were a movie, how would it begin and end? What character do I always play? You’ll get some clues. It’s normal to get into patterns, even self-defeating ones. After you identify your pattern, make a commitment to get outside of your comfort zone so you can break it. Do things you don’t usually do and go to places you don’t usually go to meet people.

Q. So, should you just try to date a guy who is totally different from your exes?
A. Yes. That’s not to say settle for less than you want. Decide what your three “must haves” are and your three “can’t stands” and simply be open to the fact that those qualities may come in different packages.

Click here to read the full article.

Do you date a specific type?  Share your opinions with us by commenting below.

Don’t be afraid of men.  They are human beings just like you and they put their pants on one leg at a time; just like you.  There is nothing to fear about them; so take a deep breath and walk up to him and say hi.  It really is that simple.  Or, once you’ve gone on a date with him; be the first to call.  We don’t live in the 1950’s anymore and it’s perfectly acceptable for a woman to call a man first.  If you like him; show interest.

#1 Approach a Man: You have feet, and you have a voice. Why can you walk into a conference meeting full of men, with confidence, but you can’t approach one? If you seek success then you must know that you won’t find it unless you get it yourself. So in other words, walk up to that attractive man at the bar or in the grocery store and start talking about how you love to cook salmon or grab a drink there after work.
#2 Call First: I know, I know this one can be a toughie, but if you don’t know by now, most men are not great communicators. They live by the 5 W’s: who, what, when, where and even sometimes why…if they care enough. In fact, with the current advancement of technology, if it were up to them, they’d probably ask you out through at text or even Voxer. Stop allowing the silence of your phone distract you from accomplishing important tasks and just call him already. FYI, you don’t have to ask him out, just talk.
#3 Ask Him Out: Okay, so I know I just said you don’t have to ask a man out, but I was referring to when you call him. When it comes to dating, you don’t’ want to put all of your eggs into one basket. Meaning that if you call a guy first, don’t call to ask him out, just call to say a flirtatious “hello”. But if you need a date to the company party, or feel like bike riding at the beach on Saturday, then why not be accompanied by the man you’re interested in?
#4 Help Pay: I remember the absurd amount of jitters I had before the first date with my ex-boyfriend. I didn’t have them because I lack in conversational skills, but because I am so stubborn that I didn’t want him fighting me on paying for part of the dinner. A lot of women feel that a man should court them for a month’s period of time i.e. pay for everything, but for men, it’s the little things that count. In other words, he’s not going to make you his girlfriend if he sees that you’re not helping chip in. If you aren’t doing it now, why would things change after you two become official? Either you’re going to enjoy a few free meals and end up sitting on your couch alone eating ice cream, or you will realize that a relationship AND dating is 50/50. Besides, what’s wrong with showing a man that you can hold your own?
#5 Have Sex: You ever hear the story of the woman that had a 3-month rule? She wouldn’t sleep with her boyfriend until they dated that long. To make a long story short, she finally slept with him and then he dumped her one week later. If you haven’t heard that story yet, stay tuned because you’ll be able to tell it. I am not condoning one night stands, that’s not dating anyways, but I am condoning that you toss the rules out the window and express your emotions at all times. Because just as easy as it was for that guy to dump you after four weeks of dating and great sex, it’s just as easy for him to do it after four months.

Click here to read the full article.
What’s holding you back from asking a man out or calling him?  Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

Although there is a stigma around having sex on the first date; if you look at the statistics from a study recently done it is really not that uncommon at all.  With over half of us having had sex on the first date it makes me wonder why there is a stigma around it.  I wonder why we put so much pressure on ourselves about not having sex on the first date and look down on people who have.

If you think about it; many of us are online dating now; so as this article suggests we feel like we know the person fairly well by the time we actually meet them in person.  Maybe this accounts for the sex on the first date.  However, I think we should stop giving ourselves such a hard time about it.

Sex on first date? 55% say they have:

First dates are often highly sexual, the survey found, with 55% of singles reporting having had sex on the first date (66% of men and 44% of women).

First-date sex is not just about one-night stands or hookups, says sex therapist Laura Berman of Chicago, noting that many people meet online and feel they know each other well by the “first date.” And on social media, there’s already flirting and sexual tension.

“It’s almost as if by the time they’ve had the first physical date, it might have been the equivalent of three dates. I think this online sharing has definitely escalated some of this familiarity and quickness in which people get into sexual scenarios,” she says.

The survey found that 21% of singles met the last person they dated online, the most often cited way of meeting.

Stanford researcher Michael Rosenfeld says data may be deceiving for online daters, who may meet a few new people every week and have “a lot of first dates. It could be a small portion of all first dates that end up in sex.”

Almost a quarter said they typically have sex after one, two or three dates; 25% said “when the other person is ready,” and 19% said “when we agree to an exclusive relationship.” About 13% said “when we are married.”

Among other sex-related findings:

– 58% of singles have had a one-night stand (65% of men and 51% of women).

– 44% had not experienced infidelity; of those who had, 36% said a partner had been unfaithful, 8% had personally been unfaithful, and 13% said both were.

– 60% said a partner having a series of one-night stands was “more unacceptable” than a three-month affair with one person; 40% said a three-month affair was worse.

Click here to read the full article.

What’s your opinion about sex on the first date?  Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

The pharmaceutical companies are trying to ruin our sex lives.  By giving women the impression that the only way to have a proper orgasm is through intercourse; they are teaching women that they aren’t normal otherwise.  And then they go ahead and provide a drug that will help with this situation.

The problem with this is that it’s not a situation.  Many women cannot orgasm through intercourse but need stimulation otherwise; and this is normal.  We don’t need drugs to help us obtain orgasm.  We need knowledge and relaxation and time to focus on ourselves.

Ever since Viagra hit the market, drug companies have been racing to find an equivalent for women. The medicalization of female sexuality—and the misinformation surrounding it as a result—has never been more prevalent. UBC nursing PhD student Cindy Masaro is out to discover how female “sexual dysfunction” is affecting women’s decisions and behaviours in bed.

“The medicalization of sex is really looking at how gender scripts play out,” Masaro says in a phone interview with the Georgia Straight. “The focus is really on orgasm during penile-vaginal sex, or intercourse. The assumption is that everyone is having intercourse, which we know isn’t the case and which assumes a very heteronormative perspective. Women are led to believe that orgasm must occur during that particular activity or something’s wrong with them….The medical industry is capitalizing on that.”

The ways in which the medicalization of sex is skewing women’s attitudes and expectations is just one aspect Masaro is hoping to uncover in her current study. Masaro, a nurse clinician at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control’s Vancouver STI clinic, will examine women’s risk behaviour and motivations for having sex (aside from the obvious feel-good angle), among other factors.
Her study is unique in that it focuses on the sexual attitudes and actions of women aged 25 and up.

Joy Johnson, UBC nursing professor and scientific director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Institute of Gender and Health, says that research on sexuality in adult women is lacking.

“To date, a great deal of research on sexual health has focused on younger populations,” Johnson tells the Straight. “We are seeing increased rates of STIs [sexually transmitted infections] in women over 25, and this is of concern.”

Johnson will be moderating a panel discussion of sexual-health experts following the upcoming free screening of Orgasm Inc., a documentary by Elizabeth Canner. Cosponsored by the UBC school of nursing and other groups, the film (which plays next Thursday [February 9] at the Chan Centre’s Royal Bank Cinema) looks at how the medical industry is shaping people’s ideas of sex and desire.

“Unfortunately, many women have accepted the mythology that they should be able to experience an orgasm with vaginal penetration alone,” Johnson says. “This is simply not the case, and the pharmaceutical industry will inevitably take advantage of this misinformed state.”
University of Victoria drug-policy researcher Alan Cassels looks at the pharmaceutical industry’s role in defining female sexual “difficulties” in the book he coauthored with Ray Moynihan titled Selling Sickness: How the World’s Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients.

“Disinterest in sex or the inability to have orgasm do exist, but selling sickness is the way drug companies take conditions that may or may not be problematic and shape them to look like something that needs to be treated with a drug,” Cassels says in a phone interview.

Click here to read the full article.

What’s your opinion on the use of drugs to achieve orgasm?  Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

There is a lot of pressure on men and women to perform on Valentine’s Day.  It’s a day designated for you to prove your love for someone and it can be very stressful.  If you go into it thinking it’s just another day and that romance should be shown year round; not just on one day a year, things will go a lot more smoothly.

I know so many people who boycott Valentine’s Day because they think it’s a joke.  But the day exists; and if you’re dating someone you’re going to have to do something.  But take the pressure off of the day by following a few simple rules.

Don’t send her a dozen red roses if you’ve only been on a few dates. You do remember the too-much-too-soon guy who scared me off with that move, right? Roses are overdone and overpriced. Red roses are just plain aggressive.

Do send her a beautiful bouquet of some other type of colorful flower. If you have the access, ask one of her girlfriends which kind she prefers. And if you don’t have the access, get it.

Don’t try to impress her by making a reservation at a ritzy restaurant where the prix fixe menu is double the normal price. You’ll wind up looking unoriginal and overeager, neither of which is good.

Do compile a menu of all her favorite foods and cook her dinner at home. Can’t cook? Order in from her favorite restaurant and set up an intimate table spread with flowers and a candle. (No, don’t use roses here either.)

Don’t shock her by showing up at her office or by sending some embarrassing singing telegram.

Do surprise her. Tell her what time you’re picking her up, but don’t tell her where you’re going. A woman likes a little mystery, but not a sneak attack at work.

Do acknowledge Valentine’s Day with each of the women you’re dating—send a card or a gift or a sweet text. It’s not slimy if they’re all casual relationships. A guy has to keep his options open.

Don’t admit to the women that you’re keeping your options open.

Don’t be cliché and buy her lingerie. (Get that for her anyway, just on another day.)

Do something creative and plan a date that’s outside the box. The guy I’m dating scored tickets for us to see “The Daily Show” on Valentine’s Day because he knows how much I love Jon Stewart. You can be Casanova without the cheese. (Bonus: It cost him nothing. No excuses, guys.)

Don’t buy the expensive, fancy wrapped chocolates or chalky Valentine’s Day candy hearts, unless those are her favorite.

Do find the candy in the supermarket checkout aisle that best represents your feelings for her, like Sweet Tarts or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Then drop the cuteness on her: “Oh baby, you’re all hard chocolatey on the outside, but mushy gushy peanut butter on the inside.” I’m kidding! Sort of.

Don’t drop too much cuteness all at once.

Do dole it out slowly, the way an M&M melts in the mouth.

Don’t rely on cards in the drug store to tell her how you feel.

Do find a creative way to express yourself. Write it on a cupcake, engrave it on a piece of jewelry, or print out a picture of the two of you and write a note on the back. (Old school!) Or make her a Spotify playlist. (New school!)

Don’t break up with her on Valentine’s Day. It’s like telling someone their baby isn’t cute—you just don’t do it.

Do wait a day, or two or three—OR SEVENTEEN—before cutting the cord.

Don’t contact your ex. Resist the urge to call, email, gchat, Facebook, tweet, or text an old flame. No good can come of this. And if the ex happens to contact you? Well, that’s why your phone has caller ID and an ignore button.

Do call some of your single guy friends and have them meet you at the bar. Maybe you’ll even happen upon a single lady there who’s looking to forget an old boyfriend of hers.

Don’t tell her you love her because it’s Valentine’s Day.

Do tell her you love her because it’s Tuesday, and you treat everyday like Valentine’s Day.

Click here to read the full article.

How do you take the pressure off of the most romantic day of the year?  Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

There was a recent study done by one of the major dating sites online to figure out what makes single people tick.  I found it quite interesting and wanted to share the results with you.  The fact that Democrats have more sex but Republicans have more orgasms made me chuckle.  I’m not sure how this information could help you in your dating life; but all the information you can get will help I’m guessing.

The next time you go out on a date; find out if he’s Republican or Democrat.  You might learn a lot about him in that simple question.

Men Aren’t Such Commitment-Phobes
The survey results undermined several tired stereotypes about men. “We’ve spent 50 years trying to bust myths about women,” said Fisher. “I’ve been very eager to get to the men. … This study showed a broadened understanding of what a man is.”

When asked the question “Would you just like to date a lot of women?” only 3 percent of men answered affirmatively. Fisher said that once men do fall in love, they’re actually willing to make big, life-changing decisions — like moving in with a partner — more quickly than women are. In fact, 46 percent of men said that they’d move in with someone after less than a year, compared to only 26 percent of women. Bonus: These results also seriously undercut the “women-as-desperate-harpies-who-rush-into-relationships” stereotype.

Men Are More Likely To “Settle” Than Women Are
Even though women are supposed to be constantly watching their biological clocks, men are actually the ones who are willing to settle for a less-than-ideal relationship.

When asked, “Would you make a long-term commitment to someone who had everything you were looking for but you were not in love with them?” and “Would you make a long-term commitment to someone who had everything you were looking for but you did not find them sexually attractive?” men were more likely to say yes to both of these questions than women were.

“Women were [also] more likely to say that bad sex was a deal-breaker,” said Fisher. “A hundred years ago, women didn’t have much choice about the sex.”

Post-50s Aren’t Asexual — And They’re Not Desperate Either
We’ve known for a while that seniors aren’t saying goodbye to their sex lives as they age, but they also aren’t willing to give it up for just anyone. Young men in their 20s and 30s are the most willing to compromise when it comes to love and sexual attraction, but both women and men in their 50s, 60s and beyond are the least likely to make a commitment without sex and romance.

“The older aren’t desperate — they’re the least desperate,” said Fisher. “They’re really settled in their communities. They’re not going to overturn their lives unless they’re really in love.”

Democrats And Republicans Want VERY Different Things…
… especially when it comes to choosing a partner. Conservative Republicans were more likely than any other group to say they must date someone from the same political party, ethnic background and religious background who has similar views on money. Republicans also tended to look for a partner who wants to get married.

Democrats, on the other hand, valued a partner who respects them and has a sense of humor, independence, a similar level of education and the ability to communicate wants and needs.
Everyone Has One-Night-Stands — But Not Everyone Thinks They’re Okay
Sixty-five percent of liberal Democrats told the researchers that they’d had one-night stands as opposed to 49 percent of Republicans. However, while Dems didn’t seem to take issue with one-time sexual encounters, a large proportion of Republicans were against them completely.

Among other sexual no-no’s of the right-wing the survey found include sex before marriage, friends with benefits and having sex on the first date.

Democrats Have More Sex, But Republicans Have More Orgasms
While conservative Republicans had — by far — the least sex in the last year, Fisher told The Huffington Post that they also reported having the most orgasms per sexual encounter.

Perhaps this is a question of quality vs. quantity? Fisher hypothesized that it might just be a matter of confidence.

“[Republicans] tend to be very sure of their values. … Being relaxed in your life-vision makes you more relaxed in the bedroom,” she said. “Liberal Democrats, we tend to question, we live in the nuances, the world isn’t black and white — [maybe this leads to being] somewhat less relaxed in the bedroom.”

Liberal Men Appreciate Older Women
Fisher told The Huffington Post that liberal Democrats are the group most likely to commit to a woman 10 years older than they are. They’re also much more willing to date someone who comes from a different family structure than they do.

Gay Singles And Straight Singles Want The Same Things
According to Fisher, the survey showed that sexual orientation doesn’t matter much when it comes to seeking out a partner.

“Gays and straights are just as likely to want somebody who they can trust and confide in, somebody who respects them, somebody who’s well-educated and somebody who they’re sexually attracted to,” she said.

The only significant difference between gay and straight singles’ dating preferences was that gay men and women are somewhat less likely to care about their partner’s religious and ethnic background

That Justin Timberlake-Mila Kunis Film Happens In Real Life
Although we’re usually told that friends-with-benefits relationships can never work, the survey showed that they often can. When asked whether they’ve has a friends-with-benefits situation blossom into something long-term, 20 percent of people said yes.

Our Dating Lives Can Withstand The Recession
This economy is definitely stressful — debilitating in many cases — but when asked whether or not the economy had affected their dating habits, 60 percent of participants said it hadn’t.

“Economies go up and down — they’ve been going up and down as long as humanity’s been around,” said Fisher. “But much more deeply ingrained in the human brain is courtship. [I predict] that it will be one of the aspects of human nature that will be least affected by changes in the economy.”

A Partner With Opinions? Some Say “No, Thanks”
Conservative Republicans were the group least likely to want a partner that expressed strong opinions, while liberal Democrats were the most likely to. So it seems best to avoid an impassioned defense of gay marriage if you’re trying to court a Santorum fan.

Click here to read the full article.

Do you think these study results are helpful?  Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

There are millions of success stories when it comes to online dating.  Whether you’re looking for something casual or a long-term relationship; either way you can usually find what you’re looking for on one of the many dating websites available online.  Plenty of Fish is a popular free site that allows you to set up your profile and set search criteria when you’re browsing for the perfect date.  You can specify things like age, hair color and even interests.  With 38 million users you have to believe that there is someone on there you can have a fun date with.

Making a Connection Though an Online Dating Site

Shannon Smith, a representative from online dating site, Plenty of Fish (POF), says the site’s matching system is based on a combination of the information members enter into their profile and their user behavior.

“If they have specified that they are looking for blondes, but search for brunettes, they will get matched with brunettes,” Smith says. “If a user will not date a smoker, they will not see smokers in their matches. If they are looking for a long-term relationship, they will be matched with users who are looking for the same thing.”

Smith says the benefits of using an online dating site are more apparent than ever.

“POF has over 38 million users worldwide, so our members have the opportunity to communicate with an extremely diverse group of people who they would most likely never meet otherwise,” Smith says.

Smith says the success rate of POF can be difficult to measure statistically, but she says the company has received millions of success stories from couples who want to thank them for helping them find their soul mate.

An online dating site provides many benefits to singles, Smith says, including acting as an alternative to the bar scene, meeting new people when it’s convenient, learning a lot about another person quickly by reading their profile, and it’s one place where members know that everyone is single. Online dating sites can also be helpful to people who are shy about approaching others.

POF also has a mobile app where users can update their profiles, search for potential mates, read and reply to messages, and a new “mobile users” feature allows them to see singles near them who are also using the app.

“People are always on the move and our mobile app fully supports our users with on-the-go lifestyles,” Smith says. “Currently, upwards of 60% of our users under the age of 40 in the United States access the site via mobile device, so it’s important that wherever they are, they will be able to connect with local singles who are in the area.”

When communicating with others through an online dating site, Smith says POF always recommends that users exercise their best judgment.

“Never give out financial or private information to others, and do not disclose anything that is outside of your comfort zone,” Smith says. “When the meeting is moved offline, we always recommend that our users meet for the first time in a public place, during the day. Inform a family member or friend about where you are going, and keep your phone on. At POF we work very hard to ensure that our users enjoy a safe environment to connect and communicate with new people.”

Click here to read the full article.

Have you tried online dating?  Share your experiences with us by commenting below.

One of the most important things when it comes to dating is that you are self-aware.  You need to know yourself fully in order to be able to know what you want out of a relationship.  If you don’t know yourself you can easily get sucked into situations that can be dangerous or unhealthy.  Having a strong sense of self and knowing what you want in a relationship and in life will help you to maneuver through situations that could potentially be difficult.

Build your confidence
Self-assurance is communicated in so many ways. Whether it’s the willingness to take the next step in a relationship or simply knowing what you want to order for that romantic meal together, confidence is appealing on many levels. Take steps to build your self-confidence in your daily life, and it will spread to your dating life. Simple things like dressing neatly and well, standing and sitting tall, and even knowing your credit can help you feel more confident about yourself and what you have to offer another person.
Know your own value
Think about what you expect from the person you want to date. Do you want someone who takes care of him or herself emotionally and physically? Someone who is financially stable? Do you match that image? Take stock of what you have to offer another person, and consider every aspect of your life that could affect a long-term relationship. Consider your diet and exercise habits. Are they the kind that will help you live a healthy, long life? Check your credit on a site like freecreditscore.com. Do you manage your credit well or are financial problems something you – and a potential partner – will have to deal with in the future?
Keep it real
It’s important to be honest with others in all your relationships, but it’s even more important that you’re honest with yourself. If your self-assessment uncovers things you don’t like about who you are or where your life is going, you need to acknowledge and address those things. Ignoring issues will not make them go away. Just as an untreated wound can turn infected, character issues or life situations that you don’t like will only worsen over time if you don’t take steps to deal with them.
Face your fears and challenges head on
Nelson Mandela once said the brave person is not someone who feels no fear, but someone who conquers that fear. Knowing your greatest fears and being able to face them is an important part of knowing yourself. It’s not always easy to get to the root of your fears; you may even think you have none. The truth is, everyone has a worst-case scenario they hope never happens, whether it’s losing their job, facing a life-threatening illness, or even never finding that special someone. The useful part of knowing what you’re afraid of is that you can take steps toward preventing it from happening, or toward being prepared in case it ever does.

Click here to read the full article.

Do you know yourself?  What things do you think are important that you know about yourself before embarking on a new relationship?