Dating Advice From A Married Woman For Singles
Once I got married, many of my single friends and associates began to ask my advice on dating. One of my friends even told me that because I was married, my advice was more valuable than her single friends advice.
My dating advice as a married woman? Have âyouâ in order, before you want to share your life with someone else. Emotionally, financially, spiritually, and physically. Itâs not the popular or sexy answer, but itâs true. Get your house in order (so to speak). You canât be there for someone else the way a relationship will demand, if your stuff is all messed up. Also, if you are asking for these things of another person, you better be willing to give them too.
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Mr. and Mrs. Sharma.
So what if youâve done the work that you need to do and still have questions on how to get the perfect person for you? Read on, love:
Love Yourself
When I was single, I loved myself. That meant that I wouldnât allow someone to treat me badly just so I could say I was in a relationship. I wouldâve preferred to be by myself then with someone that I felt I was settling for. If you donât make you a priority, and love yourself enough to not put up with poor treatment from others, then you canât expect them to respect you.
You owe it to yourself to complete this very important work and learn how to love yourself. You cannot give love to anyone else if you first cannot give it to yourself.
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 My Only Solo Vacation. No One Else Wanted To Go With Me So I Went By Myself.
Know What You Can & Canât Live With
My parents have been married for 47 years. This was my momâs advice to me when I was single and I now give it to you. People are not perfect. Sure, you can find the perfect person for you, but know they are still not perfect. You have to learn what you can and canât live with.
Once you know what your boundaries are, youâll be better at recognizing them in people when they present themselves and youâll know sooner who is an ideal match for you. Treatment was and is very important to me, so I spotted it quickly in people. I paid attention to how they treated their friends, strangers, and co-workers. If I was the only person they were nice to, that was an issue (for me).
Date
I dated when I was single. I joke that I went on a million first dates, donât worry one day Iâll write a book about them. For me, because I knew what I didnât want, it made it that much easier to find what I did want. So I dated, and with every horrible first date, I was that much closer to finding that great first date. Eventually I did, and I never had another first date again đ
I grew up with all boys and when they were single and dating, it was the one thing they all complained about. Going on a date with someone whose desperation you could smell. Thereâs a sexiness and appeal that people give off when they are just relaxed, having fun and confidently being themselves. Thatâs the energy you want to tap into on your dates.
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Know Your Flaws
We know there arenât any perfect people-that includes you and me đ Being aware of your own flaws, will better help you find people who can tolerate them. I ask a million questions (always have, and I probably always will-I donât think itâs a âflawâ, but I know that not everyone is a fan). People who are impatient and donât like to be asked questions were never a good match for me because my questions will inevitably annoy them. But I am who I am.
Rather than changing who I am (I will never do that for the benefit of another human, and would never suggest you to do it either-furthermore, anyone that asks you to change for themâŠ.RUN!), I found someone that loved that about me and found a way to use it to engage my curious mind. Instead of not answering me or being mad that Iâm asking questions, he directs it to conversation and we discuss all of the crazy things floating around in my brain. Crisis adverted and my perfect match found.
Go Online
I live in NYC. Back in my day when I was dating, I knew that I had to be willing to get out there. I diversified my approach as much as I could. I was open to being set up, on-line dating, meeting people in person, you name it. Because I wanted to be in a relationship- to be clear I wasnât seeking marriage, that sort of just happened because I truly met an amazing human being that I couldnât imagine living without, I was seeking companionship.
Fact: Most of the modern day married people I know met their spouse online. I know an OK Cupid couple, a Match.com couple, and a few Tinder couples. I know one couple that met at a previous job, and two couples that met the traditional way in person. The way you meet them doesnât really matter as much as how they treat you from that first moment of meeting you.
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Ask For What You Want
I prayed for my husband. If youâre not spiritual or religious, then meditate and ask the universe for what you want. Just like anything else that you ask for, you put a positive mental energy behind it. You want a job? You work for it and dream of it. Want a new outfit, you visualize yourself wearing it. Getting a partner is no different. Ask for what you want and be specific-you just may get it.