Ava gave everything she had to her boyfriend Liam. She was the perfect girlfriend. She cooked for him, planned special surprises for him, attended sports events with him, and made sure she supported him in everything. Then Liam did the one thing she never expected: He left her. Not only did he leave her, but a week later she found out from friends that he’d been seeing someone else behind her back. “They knew all along!” she told me. “They expected me to feel sorry for him, because it was  such  a dilemma. This cow or me. Here I was  so  nice, and he didn’t want to hurt me, but he felt this  passion  and  chemistry  that he’d never felt before.” Ava sneered. “Nice if he would’ve told me that before he broke my heart and stomped all over it.” Ava believed that being the perfect girlfriend protected her against heartbreak. If only she did everything right, her boyfriend would never want to leave her. Sadly, as you know, it doesn’t work that w...

Do you ever feel like men have all the power in love? You’re supposed to be figuring out what THEY want and waiting until THEY contact YOU. MEN are the ones who ask women out. MEN are the ones who propose. And you can’t do anything about it. It’s time to bust that belief that men have any more power than you… With these 3 ways to get your power back in love. Consequences of Playing the 1950s Girl Here’s something that bugs me… We live in the 21st century, and there are STILL folks telling women that they have to behave like good 1950s girls if they want to get married. Women should be feminine and let men take the lead and make sure he feels like a  Big Man. Sorry, but I don’t want to go back to the 1950s. I’d rather stay in the 21st century where I’ve got the internet and great coffee and career options! Here in the 21st century, men and women stand as equals. We don’t NEED a husband; we WANT a partner. And that 1950s dating advice isn’t going to get us 21st century love. If you p...

  Remember back when you were a kid and you kept wanting to get your mom’s attention? “Mom, come see this!” “Mom, look at this.” “Mom, watch this.” “Mom! Mom! Mom!” How many of you actually GOT your mom’s attention? Moms don’t have time to look at every single butterfly or owie or video or whatever else their kids want to show them. They’re busy. They’ve got things to do. And so we grow up with this craving for attention that’s never quite satiated. We fantasize about someone who’ll always have time for us, who’ll stop everything to listen. That’s the beautiful thing about romantic relationships. When you’re in a new relationship, this other person has all the time in the world for you. They stop everything when you say, “Hey, look at this.” They want to know everything about your world. But then time passes… And this person you thought was going to drop everything for you starts backing off. They’re there for you sometimes but not always. They don’t answer every time you text. The...

Everyone knows that men are hunters at heart. If you don’t run, they can’t chase. So play hard to get, keep him on his toes, and don’t let him know you’re interested. This is  classic  dating advice. Your mother probably practiced it. Your grandmother probably practiced it. And it probably worked—generations ago. But what about now? Cut Men a Break In Match.com’s annual Singles in America survey, they found that most men (91%) feel comfortable with being asked out by a woman, and most men (65%) have been asked out before. Men today are getting tired of always being the pursuers. A study of college-age men found that 72% wish their partners would initiate sex more often. They’re fed up with always being the one to show desire. THEY want to be the objects of desire for a change. #MeToo has made it even more important for women to make the first move. Many men hold back, because they don’t want to presume she’s interested when she’s not. It’s a relief when a woman frankly admits...

  We think we know what kills a relationship: Poor communication, clinginess, insecurity, cheating, incompatibility, the inability to commit… But research shows that there are 3  even bigger  relationship killers that hardly anyone talks about. People don’t talk about them because they’re a lot harder to solve than normal relationship problems. If communication is a problem, you can work on communicating better. If you feel suffocated, you can work on balancing your  me -time and  we -time. But these problems go well beyond you and the one you’re with. They stem from the environment you live in as a couple. Relationship Problems are Contagious Relationships don’t exist in a bubble. They’re influenced by 1001 invisible factors we’re not even aware of. For example, did you know that if you have a close friend who gets divorced, your own risk of divorce goes up 75%? Your risk of divorce even goes up if a sibling or a co-worker gets divorced. [1] Obviously, you can...

  Have you ever felt that online dating is stacked against you… Unless you’re incredibly photogenic, in your twenties, and live in a metropolitan area packed with singles? Most men won’t even  see  your profile because of their filters. That’s because online dating algorithms prioritize just three qualities: Age Appearance Location Depressing, isn’t it? But here’s the crazy thing… Men think dating is stacked against  them , too. Men greatly outnumber women on dating apps. They send more messages. They spend more time searching. But their efforts often get them nowhere. Why? Many men believe it’s because women don’t want men like them. If he’s short, if he doesn’t have big biceps, if he’s working at a run-of-the-mill job, then women will overlook him—or so he believes. To make matters worse, a study found that lonely people tend to spend more time searching for love online… Only to have negative experiences, which makes them feel even lonelier. A lot of people feel li...

Of all the ways that love can drag down your life…  The worst is falling for someone who doesn’t deserve it.  You were ready and willing to give EVERYTHING.  Your heart, your time, your commitment… And he didn’t really value that. Or you. To make matters worse, it really seemed like it would be different in the beginning. He acted like he was into you. He acted like he cared. He acted like he wanted the same things you do. You were so excited. You were so happy! Maybe this was the one. Maybe there was something beautiful here. Instead you ended up investing time, energy, and so much of yourself in someone who wasn’t worth it. He cared more about himself than you. How can you spot guys like this before it’s too late? And—more importantly—how do you spot the good guys? You look for these 3 signs. Sign #1. He’s like you in the ways that matter most. When you’re scrolling through your online dating app of choice, what makes you stop and take a second look? Is it because he’s ...