Advise from  dating coach  James Bauer [1] " Researchers put out a pitcher of lemonade and poured a glass for some boys and girls. The boys tasted the lemonade and made a face. “Gross!” said one. “It tastes terrible,” said the other. The girls tasted the lemonade. “It tastes good,” one said politely. Another girl choked the lemonade down but said nothing. Unbeknownst to the kids, the researchers had deliberately made the lemonade with salt instead of sugar. One researcher asked the girls why they hadn’t said how bad the lemonade tasted. “I didn’t want to be rude to you,” one said. “I just didn’t want to make anyone feel bad that they made this so sour,” said another. [2] Be Polite or Be Honest? Have you ever done what those girls did? Hid your honest reaction out of concern for someone else’s feelings? Sometimes, being polite is more important than being honest. You don’t want to tell a friend that her new hairstyle isn’t flattering. In other cases, being honest is more import...

An article from Amy Waterman[1] "What’s the #1 attitude men love in women? Why listen to a woman like me tell you?  Surely, if you want to know what men want, you should ask men! YouTube is full of great guys like Mat Shaffer and Clayton Olson and Mike Goldstein who are sweet and so fun to watch and full of insights into the male mind. They have one simple goal: To give you actionable tips that will get you into a relationship with a great guy. If that happens, their job is done. I’m more like your big sister or an old friend. I will be SO happy for you when you meet a great guy… but my main concern is YOUR happiness and wellbeing. And I know that your life won’t suddenly be “complete” once you meet this guy. Because then you’ve got to make a life together. You’ve got to balance work and your own dreams and possibly children with the demands of a relationship. And when push comes to shove, it might turn out that he’s not the best guy for you. Maybe he’...

Article from Amy Waterman[1a] If there’s one thing that’s worse than a relationship that’s over for good, it’s a relationship that keeps hanging on by a string. You know it isn’t working. You’re not happy. But you just can’t cut the cord. Every time you think it’s over, he comes back. And you take him in because it’s  him , and you care about him. No matter what, you’ll always have feelings for him. And there’s a little part of you that always hopes THIS time will be different. This time, you’ll get along. This time, he’ll stay. Why Everything is So Ambiguous These Days On-off relationships are the way of things these days. Guys don’t want to break it off with you completely, because that means they can’t pop back into your life and sleep with you again. Maybe that’s the cynic in me, but one thing is for certain: We’re losing the taste for hard conversations. It’s just too hard to break up with someone. It’s much easier to stop contacting them. If you were never really in a relatio...

“I found myself in relationships that ended in hurt no matter how hard I tried. I was always focused on one thing. I always tried to be the perfect girlfriend, the perfect wife. I felt like I was doing my best, so why weren’t things working out?”   [1] Does that sound familiar to you? Do you work SO hard to be the perfect partner… Only to find that things fall apart anyway? It doesn’t seem to matter how much effort you put in. He stops treating you well. He stops making any effort of his own. He says he’s not happy. He’s not “in love” anymore. It ends in hurt and betrayal and harsh words… And you’ve got to pick up the pieces of your heart and find a reason for believing again. You have a lot in common with celebrities, you know. The world’s most beautiful women feel this way, too. Beauty Doesn’t Make Love Easier It’s easy to slip into the trap of believing “if only’s.” If only you were drop-dead gorgeous… If only you were drop-dead sexy… If only you were rich and famous… You could ...