Ladies: 10 Signs To Know He Wants To Marry You: Put Him To The Test

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> It’s no secret, women have strong intuition and we can usually sense what our partner is thinking. If you suspect he’s thinking about marriage, you are probably right. Sometimes it’s hard to tell what men are thinking though, especially when it comes to commitment.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> If he is doing any of these 10 things, you might be closer to walking down the aisle than you think. If you have been dying to know if he’ll take the plunge but don’t want to make him feel pressured, just look for signs he wants to marry you. The proof is in the pudding.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> These 10 signs can help you navigate where you stand in his mind, even without him telling you. If he is doing these things you can be pretty sure he’s taking the relationship seriously. No one likes to be with a guy who won’t commit, so don’t! If he is dragging his feet and not treating you like a queen, find someone who will.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 34px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> 1. Investing in your future</h2> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img alt=" women have strong intuition and we can usually sense what our partner is thinking LADIES: 10 Signs To Know He Wants to Marry You: Put Him to the Test" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-72233" height="347" src="http://youqueen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Beautiful-young-couple-standing-at-the-car-dealership-and-making-their-decision.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="585" /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Has he offered to help you buy a car or pay for higher education? Maybe he’s offered to pay off your debt or help you consolidate debt. If he is starting to look to the future when your finances will be joined, chances are he’s not going to think twice about making investments that will benefit your future life together.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> If he asks for your opinion when making big purchases, it is a good sign he sees you both enjoying his new purchases together. If he has got you a really nice piece of jewelry lately, he might be testing the waters so to speak in order to see your response. Remember, guys don’t want to be rejected when they pour their heart out and their entire life is on the line with the power of your one word: ‘yes’ or ‘no’.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Why not get a house magazine, a travel magazine or a parenting book. I mean don’t freak him out, but give him signs that you’re ready so he can feel more comfortable. As you do the pre engagement dance, you will start to change as you think about what your life together will be like and what you want it to be like. When you begin planning, he will also begin to pick up on the signs, so that’s a good thing.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: #666666; font-size: 34px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 24px;">2. Planning vacations together</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Here’s a sign that he’s taken a strong interest in you. If he’s planning vacations with you and his family or closest friends, he’s taking you pretty seriously. Even if it’s just the two of you but you can tell he is really trying to impress you, get to know you and get closer, it’s a pretty big sign my friend.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Okay, planning in general is a sign he’s up to something. Have you noticed if he has been more frugal lately, is he saving up to buy you a ring maybe? Did he plan a vacation to a romantic location where he might be thinking of asking you? Is he buttering you up like a thanksgiving ham so he can stick you in the marriage oven? Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 34px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> 3. He wants to work out your differences</h2> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> When a guy goes the extra mile to try to improve communication and maybe suggests couples therapy, this is a sign he wants to make it work. If he is making an effort to see your perspective or has curtailed some of the behaviors that get under your skin, maybe he is growing up and planning your future as a happy couple. If he has softened up recently, he might be warming up to the idea of forever.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Is he letting go of things that used to really make him mad? In that case, he must be doing some deep thinking. If he has made an effort to be nice to your friends that you know he doesn’t like that much, he is probably trying to impress you.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> When a man, simply put, starts acting like a man and less like a child, it’s definitely on purpose. A man cannot act without motivation and if he’s been looking in the mirror recently and getting in touch with his inner truth, you’ll know something is up. If you’re reading this article and things are ringing a bell, congratulations, he might be about to change your whole life.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> It might be time to break open the champagne and call Aunt Mindy pretty soon (she’s the one you never talk to, but feel compelled to call just to tell her you’re getting married).</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 34px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> 4. He can’t get enough of you</h2> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img alt=" women have strong intuition and we can usually sense what our partner is thinking LADIES: 10 Signs To Know He Wants to Marry You: Put Him to the Test" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-72236" height="390" src="http://youqueen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/young-couple-with-playful-behavior-in-bedroom.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="585" /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Does he invite you over every night? Has he talked about moving in together? Has he been spending an inordinate amount of time with you? Chances are he is smitten and thinking about the next step. If you’ve been together for a while, at least six months, chances are he’s thinking about it, even if he hasn’t mentioned it.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> If he keeps choosing to hang out with you over his friends, he might be ready to take the plunge. If he is showering you with compliments and seems really happy, this man is most likely very satisfied with you and thinking about that big decision.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Has he put pictures of you everywhere, in his wallet and at his office? Does he call you and text you a lot? Does he ask to have dates and surprise you with fun things? When a guy is really excited about you, he won’t be able to stop. They aren’t that good at hiding it.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 34px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> 5. He introduces you to everyone he knows</h2> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Here’s a big sign. Has he introduced you to all of the people that are important to him? This includes best friends, coworkers, and family. If he’s not ashamed of your relationship and he’s making sure everyone knows you guys are an item, chances are you’ve got yourself a committed man that will be on his knee in not too long.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> You’ll pick up on how he’s behaved in the past; maybe you’re the first one he has introduced to everyone. Guys are usually very cautious about bringing girls into the circle of trust. But when you’re in, it’s a big sign he loves you. Pay attention to how he introduces you.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> What did he say, does he compliment you, and is he proud of you? Does he hold your hand in front of them? This man wants to literally hold onto you until death do you part.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 34px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> 6. Meeting the parents</h2> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Guys are funny creatures. Some of them will bring their parents on their first date (yes I’ve seen this happen), some guys will introduce you to their parents within the first week of dating, and some guys are more protective and wait for a while. Whatever the case may be, if he’s introduced you to his parents, this is a sign that he’s serious about you.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> If he had cold feet about meeting your parents and suddenly warmed up to the idea like it was no big deal, this man’s mind has changed. Is he asking to meet your parents and siblings? Is he asking what your parents like, trying to get to know them and get on their good side? Is he trying to score brownie points?</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> If you’ve never been married before, you might not even realize what you’re walking into when a man gets serious about the relationship. Don’t think he’s just being nice because likes you. A man will not embrace a woman’s family unless he’s thinking they are going to become his family.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 34px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> 7. Looking at houses</h2> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Has he become obsessed with looking at houses recently? If so, he might be thinking about wedding bells my dear. Usually guys don’t buy houses with girls they aren’t serious about. If he’s looking at them with you, he’s probably planning on living in one with you. Is this getting you excited? Getting nervous?</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Has he started talking about furniture or mortgages? Has he been obsessed with figuring out the job that will offer you both a great lifestyle? Has he been talking about or looking over “figures” a lot? He’s got nuptials on his mind if he’s plotting to nest.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 34px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> 8. Talking about children</h2> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Yes, this is a big one too. If he keeps bringing up how he wants to be a dad or what a great mom you would make, his mind is in the future and he sees you guys starting a family. If you have noticed him commenting on babies or talking about friend’s kids, this man’s primal instincts are kicking in; he’s looking long term.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Now, if you’re shopping, and he takes a turn into the kid section, you can almost guarantee his mind is scheming. Has he bought any self-help books recently? When men are thinking about becoming fathers, they often try to better themselves and prepare. For that matter, when they are getting ready for marriage, they will often do that as well.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Maybe he dropped a bad habit, cleaned up his diet, started an exercise plan or made an effort to get a better paying job. If he has become more responsible lately, he might be thinking about settling down.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 34px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> 9. He’s really open with you</h2> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img alt=" women have strong intuition and we can usually sense what our partner is thinking LADIES: 10 Signs To Know He Wants to Marry You: Put Him to the Test" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-72238" height="390" src="http://youqueen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Couple-having-a-spritz-time-with-a-lake-view.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="585" /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> When a man becomes vulnerable, it’s a good sign. If he has suddenly begun to share embarrassing moments, feelings, and other sensitive things, he might really have serious plans with you. When a man trusts you, he behaves differently. He lets his guard down and is more of his goofy self.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Remember to be sensitive to him as he opens up, so he doesn’t feel like you’re going to attack him if he does let his guard down. Try not to judge him, and see him as a fellow human that is learning life lessons and doing the best he can.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 34px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> 10. He’s extra attentive</h2> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Have you noticed him being extra nice to you recently? Has he been noticing when you change your hair or complimenting you on your outfits? Has he offered to take you out to dinner and gotten you flowers. Maybe he’s stopped leaving a mess in the living room or made sure to put down the toilet seat.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> When a man starts being a gentleman and stops being a boyfriend, he’s thinking seriously about something. Has he become more supportive of your ideas or asked you about your goals? Why is he evaluating your five year plan? What is he trying to figure out? If you sense that your guy is trying to see if your goals line up, this guy is sizing up wife material.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> If he’s not doing any of these things, it doesn’t mean he isn’t serious about you. Only you can know for sure. If you’re wondering, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with just asking. If you do want to marry this man, you want to be able to be open about your feelings anyway, right? If you’re so curious, just see what his thoughts are.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> What if you never asked and you spent years with someone just trying to ‘read the signs’ and not wanting to scare him off. Maybe he’s not looking for marriage and you can save yourself the heartache early on. Don’t pressure him by saying something like ‘when do you want to get married?’ but see if it’s something he’s considering.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Open and candid relationships have the best chances of making it. Don’t be afraid to speak up and be open.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> When you feel his energy turned towards you, you will know something is up. If he is remembering what you say, listening intently and cancelling fantasy football with his buddies so you can have a movie night, this man has a ring on his mind.</div> <a class="bannerclick h2" data-id="70547" href="http://3b4ceei8r1ir5mabni-dscgifm.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=H2A1" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-transition: 0.2s; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1aadd2; display: block; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s; vertical-align: baseline;"></a><br /> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro'; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> If you know someone who could benefit from this article, do them a favor and pass it along. I would love to hear feedback from you amazing women, and I thank you for being a part of the You Queen community.</div> </div>

Ladies: 10 Signs To Know He Wants To Marry You: Put Him To The Test

It’s no secret, women have strong intuition and we can usually sense what our partner is thinking. If you suspect he’s thinking about marr...

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The Ebb and Flow of Marriage

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <header class="article-header"><h1 class="entry-title single-title" itemprop="headline"> The Ebb and Flow of Marriage</h1> <div class="single-featured-image"> <img alt="" class="attachment-gz-thumb-750 size-gz-thumb-750 wp-post-image" height="426" itemprop="image" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" src="https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Fotolia_30955574_S-750x500.jpg" srcset="https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Fotolia_30955574_S-750x500.jpg 750w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Fotolia_30955574_S-768x512.jpg 768w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Fotolia_30955574_S-300x200.jpg 300w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Fotolia_30955574_S-350x233.jpg 350w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Fotolia_30955574_S.jpg 849w" width="640" /></div> <div class="social-share-container"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <span class="st_facebook_large" displaytext="Facebook"></span> <span class="st_twitter_large" displaytext="Tweet"></span> <span class="st_pinterest_large" displaytext="Pinterest"></span> <span class="st_linkedin_large" displaytext="LinkedIn"></span> <span class="st_googleplus_large" displaytext="Google +"></span> <span class="st_email_large" displaytext="Email"></span></div> </header><section class="entry-content clearfix" itemprop="articleBody">Marriages change over time.  Couples who are able to navigate the ebb and flow of their relationships have an advantage in doing better over the long haul.<br /> Consider for a moment how much you’ve changed in your maturity, likes, dislikes, priorities, stressors, life experiences, etc.  If you haven’t changed a bit – consider yourself extremely unique.<br /> Most of us experience a change in ourselves to some degree over time.  A marriage or long-term relationship will also change.<br /> <strong>Here are a few ways couples can navigate the inevitable change of their marriage:</strong><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/wedding-marriage-300x243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Marriage Tips, Tools Advice: The Ebb and Flow of Marriage" border="0" class="size-medium wp-image-2825 alignright" height="243" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="http://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/wedding-marriage-300x243.jpg" srcset="https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/wedding-marriage-300x243.jpg 300w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/wedding-marriage-350x284.jpg 350w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/wedding-marriage.jpg 385w" style="cursor: move; margin-top: 5px;" title="Marriage Tips, Tools Advice: The Ebb and Flow of Marriage" width="300" /></a></div> <ul> <li>Check-in with each other periodically.<ul> <li>How are things going?</li> <li>How are you doing?</li> <li>How are we doing?</li> </ul> </li> <li>Make adjustments in the way things have always been done.<ul> <li>Break routines</li> <li>Do things differently</li> <li>Shake it up a bit</li> </ul> </li> <li>Prioritize your relationship.  It’s very easy to take your eyes off of each other, especially after having children and other life stressors show up.</li> <li>Get away.  An overnight can do wonders for your relationship.  Don’t underestimate the power of a new environment away from your routines and responsibilities.</li> <li style="text-align: left;">Laugh and create new memories.  Don’t allow a negativity bias to creep up in your relationship.  Counter it with some good laughs and positive experiences to counteract negative experiences.</li> </ul> Just because your marriage has “changed” isn’t automatically cause for alarm.  It’s about addressing the change together honestly  and finding creative ways to adapt to that change.<br /> If you are concerned that so much has changed at this point that your marriage feels disconnected and the gap too wide to bridge without assistance, find a local couples counselor to help.  If you’re not quite ready for couples counseling you can try my tool for couples, The Marriage Refresher Course Workbook for Couples, to help you strengthen the foundation of your relationship.</section></div>

The Ebb and Flow of Marriage

The Ebb and Flow of Marriage Marriages change over time.  Couples who are able to navigate the ebb and flow of their relatio...

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Trust: A Critical Component of Sexual Intimacy in Committed Relationships

<header class="article-header" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #565656; font-family: Signika, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><h1 class="entry-title single-title" itemprop="headline" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.5em; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.333em; margin: 0.67em 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"> Trust: A Critical Component of Sexual Intimacy in Committed Relationships</h1> <div class="single-featured-image" style="box-sizing: border-box;"> <img alt="" class="attachment-gz-thumb-750 size-gz-thumb-750 wp-post-image" height="500" itemprop="image" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" src="https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Fotolia_65349056_S-750x500.jpg" srcset="https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Fotolia_65349056_S-750x500.jpg 750w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Fotolia_65349056_S-768x512.jpg 768w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Fotolia_65349056_S-300x200.jpg 300w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Fotolia_65349056_S-350x233.jpg 350w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Fotolia_65349056_S.jpg 849w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="750" /></div> </header><section class="entry-content clearfix" itemprop="articleBody" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #565656; font-family: Signika, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; zoom: 1;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; text-align: center;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Richard Nicastro, PhD, examines how the sexual intimacy stakes rise when you fall in love.  He highlights the conditions that either encourage or discourage trust in a committed relationship.</em></strong></div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> When love becomes part of the relationship landscape, when the other starts to <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">matter</i> to you, then how they respond takes on a heightened importance. And once love is set into motion, the more you are moved to share and give of yourself to your partner, the more vulnerable you become. Now trust becomes increasingly important to the workings of your relationship.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Trust isn’t just a concept couples must learn about—rather, it’s a subjective experience that must be repeatedly lived and <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">felt</i>.<i style="box-sizing: border-box;"> </i>When trust is experienced in this way, the relationship offers a secure space for the couple, a space that offers solace and opportunities for deeper sharing and connection. Once <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">mutually</i> established, trust can then quietly recede into the background of the relationship where it continues to support the couple, offering comfort and stability, allowing each person to take the risks necessary for meaningful emotional and sexual expression and connection.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">There are conditions that enhance or violate trust.</strong></div> <h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.125em; font-weight: 400; margin: 1em 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"> </h3> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Trust requires certain relationship conditions in order to take hold, and when these conditions are violated, when the foundation of trust is shaken, anxieties and insecurities awaken. The intensity of your trust-insecurities may periodically intrude or they may blanket every aspect of your relationship. A lack of trust (or trust that is doubted/questioned) is emotionally disruptive to all involved, and for emotional and sexual intimacy to be (re)established, trust must first be established.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Pro-trust Conditions</strong></div> <ul style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 1em 0px 1em 1.5em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.5em;"> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em;">accepting / encouraging</span></li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em;">sensitive / concerned</span></li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em;">emotionally open</span></li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em;">responsive / engaged</span></li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em;">committed / reliable</span></li> </ul> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Anti-trust Conditions</strong></div> <ul style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 1em 0px 1em 1.5em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.5em;"> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">critical / judgmental</li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">aloof / indifferent</li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">defensive / closed-off</li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">unresponsive / detached</li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">erratic / unpredictable<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em;">            </span></li> </ul> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> These behaviors (both pro- and anti-trust) take on particular significance when they come from the person you love and care for. The loved spouse/partner has particular power and influence over you—the power to help you feel secure and connected as well as intensely insecure and anxious. When trust conditions are violated, couples often shift from a secure to an insecure-anxious way of relating (even when anger predominates, the anger is often fueled by undercurrents of anxiety about losing the other).</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; text-align: center;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">“Having sex with someone I didn’t really know or care about was easy. It’s when I fell in love that sex became amazing and dangerous at the same time. All of a sudden, trust and the potential for betrayal became relevant.”</em>~Eric, 33 years old</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> During sex, the stakes are always elevated because sexual intimacy is inherently risky emotional business—that is, the level of emotional vulnerability evoked with someone you deeply care about presents both the potential for intimate sharing and authentic contact and, when things go awry, emotional wounding and withdrawal. And during these heightened-vulnerability circumstances, your best intentions may not be enough to circumvent painful misunderstandings.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Having conversations about the conditions you and your partner each need to enhance trust is important in making these conditions <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">explicitly</i> known to you both. Using the above list of pro- and anti-trust conditions can be a good starting point to jump-start such a discussion. Remember, when trust is solidified, the couple enters an orbit of emotional security surrounding the marriage/relationship, a security that allows for the potential of deeper emotional sharing and sexual exploration and expression.</div> </section>

Trust: A Critical Component of Sexual Intimacy in Committed Relationships

Trust: A Critical Component of Sexual Intimacy in Committed Relationships Richard Nicastro, PhD, examines how the sexual intimacy stake...

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Does Your Relationship Have a Strong Negativity Bias?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <header class="article-header"><h1 class="entry-title single-title" itemprop="headline"> Does Your Relationship Have a Strong Negativity Bias?</h1> <div class="single-featured-image"> <img alt="" class="attachment-gz-thumb-750 size-gz-thumb-750 wp-post-image" height="426" itemprop="image" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" src="https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fotolia_78828670_S-750x500.jpg" srcset="https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fotolia_78828670_S-750x500.jpg 750w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fotolia_78828670_S-300x200.jpg 300w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fotolia_78828670_S-768x512.jpg 768w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fotolia_78828670_S-350x233.jpg 350w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fotolia_78828670_S.jpg 849w" width="640" /></div> <div class="social-share-container"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <span class="st_facebook_large" displaytext="Facebook"></span> <span class="st_twitter_large" displaytext="Tweet"></span> <span class="st_pinterest_large" displaytext="Pinterest"></span> <span class="st_linkedin_large" displaytext="LinkedIn"></span> <span class="st_googleplus_large" displaytext="Google +"></span> <span class="st_email_large" displaytext="Email"></span></div> </header><section class="entry-content clearfix" itemprop="articleBody">A common thread in my couples therapy practice with those who struggle to make change is a strong negativity bias.  The needle on the “Geiger counter” of their relationship is bouncing up and down in the red.  In the worst cases, they are hostile, adversarial, mistrusting and believe they are experts on each other, convinced that they “know” exactly how the other feels.  And it’s not good.<br /> “He doesn’t even like me.”<br /> “She has one foot out of the marriage.”<br /> “He wishes he would have married ___.”<br /> “She is only staying in the marriage because of our child.”<br /> In psychology-speak, a “negativity bias” refers to the neuroscience of feeling threatened.  Rick Hanson, PhD explains below:<br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <em>“In your brain, there are separate (though interacting) systems for negative and positive stimuli.  Negative stimuli produce more neural activity than do equally intense (e.g., loud, bright) positive ones. They are also perceived more easily and quickly. For example, people in studies can identify angry faces faster than happy ones; even if they are shown these images so quickly (just a tenth of a second or so) that they cannot have any conscious recognition of them, the ancient fight-or-flight limbic system of the brain will still get activated by the angry faces.” </em></div> People have varying degrees of negativity bias.  Those with trauma or challenged family of origin experiences are often vulnerable to a stronger negativity bias than someone with a secure upbringing, strong sense of self and no traumatic experiences.  The brain is wired for fear or security…and many shades of grey in between.<br /> Thankfully, we have learned that a negativity bias can be challenged by noticing the good, gratitude, mindfulness and other positive practices that can rewire the brain.<br /> <h2 style="text-align: center;"> <strong>A negativity bias can exist in relationships too.</strong></h2> The couple with the Geiger bouncing up and down at the extreme end of the negative side are going to be stuck unless they work together to counter the negative with positive, to move the needle slowly towards their ability to make room for benefit of the doubt and willingness to be vulnerable.  The idea is to build good will again, to create an environment where your partner feels he/she can put down the sword and shield.  You are BOTH responsible for this.<br /> <strong>11 Ways to Counter the Negativity Bias in Your Relationship</strong><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fotolia_31616302_XS-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-10762" height="225" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="http://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fotolia_31616302_XS-300x225.jpg" srcset="https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fotolia_31616302_XS-300x225.jpg 300w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fotolia_31616302_XS-181x136.jpg 181w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fotolia_31616302_XS-190x142.jpg 190w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fotolia_31616302_XS-350x263.jpg 350w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fotolia_31616302_XS.jpg 400w" width="300" /></a></div> <ol> <li>Begin each day with a positive statement or greeting for each other.</li> <li>In transitional moments, (coming or going, one going to bed, etc), say hello, goodbye, goodnight with an affectionate gesture.</li> <li>Notice aloud what is going well.  “That’s great that you got a bonus, you’ve worked hard.”</li> <li>Show appreciation.  “That was a really delicious meal, thank you.”</li> <li>Offer help.  If you see something you can do to help your partner, offer it up.  “Would you like me to make Sarah’s school lunch tomorrow to give you a break?”</li> <li>Check in.  Make an effort to ask each other how you are doing to demonstrate care.</li> <li>Make time.  Schedule a walk or lunch with each other.  Show each other that you <em>want</em> to be there.</li> <li>Repair if needed.  If you mess up, apologize right away.  This will not be a straight line.</li> <li>Be open.  A repair attempt will do no good if you are not open to possibilities.  Change cannot happen either.</li> <li>State your needs.  Make sure you’ve articulated what you need in the relationship to give your partner a chance to respond.</li> <li>Try again.  Don’t allow resentment and sensitivity derail the process.  Know that it’s hard work and perfection doesn’t exist.</li> </ol> Remember that your goal is to create an environment for your relationship to heal.  Practice empathy for your partner and self-compassion, as after all, such a strong negativity bias was born out of wounds (perceived or real).  It’s a natural drive to be self protective in matters of the heart.  The hope is to shift the dynamic so you both feel the other is truly there and can be leaned upon.<br /> Intimate relationships are second to parent-child relationships in vulnerability and need to feel emotionally safe.</section></div>

Does Your Relationship Have a Strong Negativity Bias?

Does Your Relationship Have a Strong Negativity Bias? A common thread in my couples therapy practice with those who struggle ...

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8 Signs He’S The Man You Should Be Marrying

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img height="266" src="http://black-culture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/loving_black_couple1.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="400" /></div> <br /> <br /> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> This one is for the ladies, another one will be posted now or tomorrow for men. So you’ve spent a substantial amount of time with your boyfriend and want to to take things to the next level, this article is going to help you in that decision-making process. Let’s begin.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 8. He tells you to have your “Girls Nights”</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> This is something I haven’t seen in a lot of men but it should be more common than it already is. A guy who pushes you to have girls nights is a guy who knows how important your girls are for you and he knows you need to spend your own “me time” with them to stay happy. It also means that he isn’t a need freak who can’t see you have fun on your own without him being there. Keep in mind, a guy is writing this article and I tell my girlfriend to go out with her girls all the time. It’s a very healthy trait to have for men.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 7. He understands you, completely</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> When I say “understand”, I don’t just mean that he knows your likes and dislikes. Anyone who spends a few months with you can understand you that much, I’m talking about a more mature level of understanding. This means that your guy knows when you’re ticked off, it also means he knows what to say and when to say it. If a guy can make you laugh at even the most darkest of your days, he understands you emotionally. Emotional understanding is very vital for a lasting relationship.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 6. He doesn’t hate your social circle</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> This is kind of common, a lot of guy friends I have actually restrict their girlfriends from meeting her friends. There will be guys and girls both in her social circle but some men have issues with the fact that their girlfriends are spending too much time in her social circle (mostly the guys in that social circle). This points to a few insecurities that some guys have and it also points to the fact that he doesn’t trust you as much as he should. A guy who’s completely cool with your social circle is the guy you NEED to keep and do everything for.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 5. He doesn’t flinch at the topic of marriage</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> I know, marriage sometimes can be a difficult topic to think about but when two people have known each other enough, it becomes part of the general conversation without a plethora of anti-marriage statements. We get into relationships because we want to see how compatible we are with people and ultimately if we can spend the rest of our lives with them or not. If your boyfriend doesn’t run away from this topic, it means he’s been thinking about it as much as you have or maybe more, he’s a keeper.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 4. He supports you even at your worst decisions</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> We all make mistakes in life, sometimes our decisions lead to good things and sometimes they lead to bad things. A person who stands right by your side at both the good and the bad is a person who loves you no matter what. Support is very important (it goes without saying), emotional support is something that makes your partner understand that they’ll always get back to normal even if they make a bad decision. If your guy supports you even when you fail, he’ll support you in anything.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 3. He loves you the same</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Now this one is common. When relationships get old (a few years), a lot of people complain that “it’s not the same anymore”, “the spark is gone”, “we are growing apart”, well that’s because of a lot of reasons but mainly absence of expressiveness can lead to this. If you feel the same with your guy even after years of being with him, why are you even reading this article? He’s a keeper.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 2. He is a romantic</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Sentimental guys are hard to come by, I’m proud at the way I express myself with my girlfriend and she loves this fact about me, the fact that I am expressive about each and every feeling I have. A friend of mine once told me, he said:</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 1. He doesn’t care about how “hot” you look</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> A man who loves you will love you regardless of how much makeup you put on your face or how hot you look. A man who loves you also knows that beauty and “hotness” are very superficial things and feelings are what count in the end. If you have a guy who looks at you with the same loving way in any case, he’s a keeper.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> That’s it for now, ladies. Have you found your Mr. Right? Let me know what you love about him in the comments below. As always, stay blessed and keep the love alive!</div> </div>

8 Signs He’S The Man You Should Be Marrying

This one is for the ladies, another one will be posted now or tomorrow for men. So you’ve spent a substantial amount of time with yo...

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Ladies: Five Signs Your Boyfriend Will Make A Good Husband (Or Not!)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: left; color: #333333; float: left; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img alt="s easy to fall head over heels right away Ladies: Five Signs Your Boyfriend Will Make a Good Husband (or Not!)" src="http://static.eharmony.com/dating-advice/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/good-boyfriend-material-or-not-400x257.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" /></div> <br /> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> When relationships start out, it’s easy to fall head over heels right away, thinking maybe he’s “the one.”</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> This phase, however, is not the ideal time to start planning a future together — especially because you’re only seeing the very best version of your partner. If you allow yourself to get blinded by this fantasy, you could miss the real signs that show what type of boyfriend (or husband) he’ll be later on in the relationship.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> While we can’t predict the future, there are certain things we can pay attention to, early on, to determine if he’s a keeper.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How He Treats People</strong></div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Being respectful to other people, especially the elderly, is an indication that he’s got good manners and good character, says marriage counselor Dr. Paul Hokemeyer. “If he’s only solicitous to young pretty women and ignores everyone else, that’s a sign he’s a complete narcissist who is only interested in people who can feed his ego.”</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Aside from the elderly, it’s a plus if he’s also affectionate toward animals and babies. That can indicate he is relationship- and family-oriented.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How He Handles Work</strong></div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Having a man with good work ethic can infer he will make a solid financial partner, notes psychotherapist Dr. Karen Ruskin. But, as author and dating coach Laurel House adds, there’s a fine line between “solid financial partner” and incurable workaholic. “If he puts work first all the time, cancels on you last minute, and is constantly emailing, texting, and taking calls when you’re out, expect for his business to always come first.”</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How He Deals With Stress</strong></div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Real character emerges during times of stress and conflict. When things get rough at work or home, does he roll with the punches or become overly stressed and blame everyone and everything for his troubles, including you?</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “If even waiting in lines is hard for him, that’s an indication he has low frustration tolerance and will be reluctant to tolerate any imperfections or challenges from you,” says Hokemeyer.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How He Supports You</strong></div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Make sure he listens to you and supports your interests and choices, because a supportive man is positive, and a man who tries to control and downplay your hopes and dreams is dangerous and negative, says Ruskin.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> It’s also important to be open about yourself — expose your vulnerabilities and red flags early on, says House. “Don’t let him be the one with the stories, charisma, and personality. Dig deep, connect through stories, talk about your core values, and let your guard down.”</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> If you don’t, you risk wasting your time, falling for a façade and even boredom due to a perception of perfection.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How You Met Him</strong></div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Do you remember how the two of you met? Even this can indicate if the relationship will last, the experts say.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “If you meet him in a situation where he is the center of attention, unless you immediately level the playing field, he will always be the one on the pedestal,” says House.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> A more mutual kind of meet-cute, Ruskin explains, will likely offer a more positive outcome. “Meeting through a friend, he will treat you nice [because] you are a direct connection. Through religious means, there is a spiritual connection. Meet at surf camp? Then you share a common interest.” (And if you met through one of those “hook up” apps or via a fling affair, don’t expect to be walking down the aisle anytime soon.)</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Once you’ve determined that your guy might be all he’s cracked up to be, it’s still important to take things slow.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> As Hokemeyer says, “As hard as it may be, don’t make any major relationship- or life-changing decisions for at least three months of a new relationship.”</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: myriad-pro, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Besides, if he’s really “the one,” he’ll be more than willing to take the time to show it.</div> </div>

Ladies: Five Signs Your Boyfriend Will Make A Good Husband (Or Not!)

When relationships start out, it’s easy to fall head over heels right away, thinking maybe he’s “the one.” This phase, however, is n...

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Five Ways On How Better Communication Can Prevent Divorce

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <h1 class="post-title" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: left; color: #444444; float: left; font-family: Titillium, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 38px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"> <img height="266" src="http://www.blackloveandmarriage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/old_black_couple-e1315319695679.jpg" width="400" /></h1> <br /> <h1 class="post-title" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Titillium, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 38px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"> <div style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 28.7999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> When asked about making relationships last just about everyone will tell you the same thing: communication is key! It is advice that is as useful as it is vague. It offers no practical steps you can take, and fails to acknowledge that communication takes many forms, and they aren’t all good for your relationship. Here are some tried and tested methods for keeping the communication in your relationship productive and open.</div> <div style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 28.7999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Honesty is (usually) the best policy</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 28.7999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Being honest about how you feel and what you need is the most important and effective thing you can do to preserve your marriage. It can be difficult to tell someone you love that you’re unhappy or unfulfilled, but if you don’t tell them, they’ll never know. Be clear and open about what you feel is missing, or what needs to change. Your spouse loves you and wants you to be happy. If you tell them what you need, they will almost certainly want to help you find it.</div> <div style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 28.7999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Not everything you think needs to be said</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 28.7999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Sometimes sharing close quarters with someone you love means finding them frustrating and irritating. Sometimes even the sound of them breathing can make you crazy. This doesn’t mean that you don’t love them anymore, and it definitely doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with the way they breathe. Letting thoughts like those out is destructive and hurtful, and accomplishes absolutely nothing. Before criticizing your partner, try to think about how you would feel if they made the same complaint about you, then try to drop it.</div> <div style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 28.7999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t bottle it up…</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 28.7999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The first piece of relationship advice my mother ever gave me was “don’t let it fester.” She said she and my father didn’t have their first fight until they had been together for 5 years, and boy was it a doozy. Even if your spouse does something totally inappropriate or cruel, once you’ve held onto your anger for long enough, you’ve given up the high ground. If an issue isn’t important enough to be addressed in a timely manner, it isn’t important enough to be used at a later date either.</div> <div style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 28.7999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But bottle it up a little</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 28.7999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> There is a difference between passive-aggressively holding onto past mistakes, and thinking calmly about a perkara before discussing it. When you are hurt, or angry, or frustrated, your ability to talk reasonably and come up with a solution is going to suffer. Sometimes it is a good idea to wait a little while and let the most extreme emotional responses fade before broaching a subject. This will allow you to come at it with some perspective, and to say calmly to your partner, “it bothers me when you do this, for this reason.” No yelling, no accusations, just a simple conversation about ways to make living together easier for both of you.</div> <div style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 28.7999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Find new ways to discuss difficult issues</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 28.7999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> For some people confrontation is more than just difficult. My sister suffers from actual panic attacks during difficult encounters, which makes those hard conversations even more of a challenge. She and her husband work online from two separate offices in the same house, and occasionally they will discuss touchy subjects via online chat. It allows her to distance herself from the stress of the conversation without sacrificing her own needs. There are other advantages to the written word; it gives you an opportunity to reconsider what you wish to say before it is too late, and it forces you to abandon sarcasm, the great American crutch. Since your tone can’t indicate whether or not you are serious, you should be writing only what you mean.</div> </h1> </div>

Five Ways On How Better Communication Can Prevent Divorce

When asked about making relationships last just about everyone will tell you the same thing: communication is key! It is advice that ...

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What Is Dating?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <h1 class="title" id="page-title" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: left; float: left; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 39px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -0.05em; line-height: 62px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITeoFgMaaKz9pZjXrIObhjLsKRVpUNsV-HkA8zGUiVf0Du8U6mQpx1SUBQWLyZmUuCxsTnD5TEmwRB1MtnhctDCwbrsHnYycYaKs0KDHMP5uSTVtNJlabpITJKxObHkucVubYTrwtAY8/s640/dating+vs+relationship.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="640" /><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05em; text-align: left;">What is Dating?</span></h1> <br /> <div class="block block-system block-main block-system-main odd block-without-title" id="block-system-main" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="block-inner clearfix" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="content clearfix" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <article about="/dating-basics/what-is-dating" class="node node-page node-published node-not-promoted node-not-sticky author-admin odd clearfix" id="node-page-4" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" typeof="foaf:Document"><div class="content clearfix" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="field-items" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> "Dating" means different things to different people, particularly across generations. At loveisrespect.org, we </div> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> define <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">“dating” as two people in an intimate relationship. The relationship may be sexual, but it does not have to be. It may be serious or casual, straight or gay, committed or open, short-term or long-term. The important thing to remember is that dating abuse can occur within all kinds of intimate relationships.</span></div> <h2 style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 29.25px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -0.05em; line-height: 46.8px; margin: 10px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> Types of Dating</h2> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> You and your friends may use the word “dating” or you may not. People describe relationships in different ways. Whatever you call it, we want you to understand and feel comfortable with whatever type of relationship you are in. Some of the most commonly used words to describe dating are:</div> <ul style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 10px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Going out</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Together</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Being with someone</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Seeing each other</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hubby/wifey status</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Just friends</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Friends with benefits</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hooking up</li> </ul> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Regardless of the label you use, you and your partner should both accept the same definition for your relationship.</div> <h2 style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 29.25px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -0.05em; line-height: 46.8px; margin: 10px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> But I’m Not Dating!</h2> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> There are other types of relationships that might not be considered dating that are just as real and that we can help you with here. Maybe you have a child with somebody, but do not consider yourself to be in a dating relationship with that person. Having a child together could feel like more than just dating, or you might have chosen not to be together anymore; there is no one way that relationships must work.</div> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Another possibility is that you and your partner are married. Of course marriage is different from dating in some ways, but you might be surprised at how similar they really are! What makes a dating relationship healthy or unhealthy usually applies to marriage as well.</div> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> At loveisrespect, we focus on dating but this site is relevant to everyone.</div> <h2 style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 29.25px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -0.05em; line-height: 46.8px; margin: 10px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> Who is a Partner?</h2> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Simply put, a dating "partner" refers the person you’re in a relationship with. A healthy partner is:</div> <ul style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 10px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Respecting</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Trustworthy</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Honest</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dependable</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Supportive</li> </ul> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Whether you’re in a long-term, committed relationship or looking for casual dating experiences, you can still experience abuse. People who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning (LGBTQ) can be in abusive relationships too. In fact, studies show that dating violence occurs at the same rates in same-sex relationships as in opposite-sex relationships.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div> </div> </div>

What Is Dating?

What is Dating? "Dating" means different things to different people, particularly across generations. At loveisrespe...

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5 Ways To Recover From Relationship Blunder

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: left; color: #333333; float: left; font-family: ProximaNova, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img src="http://www.naijastories.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/quarrelling-black-couple.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" /></div> <br /> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Without a doubt there are some nasty men out in the dating world. Guys who use, abuse and laugh about it later; but they are the exception. The much more common man is maybe just a little careless with his comments. Perhaps he just doesn’t think it all through. He’s a little too frank, a little too honest. Or maybe it’s what he does or doesn’t do. Maybe his eyes linger on the attractive waitress, or he just can’t remember to hold the door and let her walk in a room first.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Whatever the cause, this good-hearted, hapless fellow ends up in the doghouse. Here are a few suggestions for recovering from the relationship blunder.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1.    Learn to apologize</strong></div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> If you watch public persons who violate their marriage vows, get caught and then take to the public airwaves to apologize, you’ll notice an interesting trend. Many of these apologies aren’t apologies at all. Oh sure, the guy looks contrite, but if you listen he’s actually blaming his circumstances for his indiscretion. They go on and on about the hounding paparazzi, the pressure, and the power that breeds entitlement and a sense of being above the law. This is not how a real man should apologize.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> You apologize by taking FULL responsibility. You don’t say, “I hadn’t eaten well that day” or “I was busy with work.” You just say, “This is all on me. I screwed up. I’m so sorry to put you through this. There’s no excuse, and I’m going to work hard to never do that again.”</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2.    Happily Accept The Consequences of Your Actions</strong></div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> If you’ve committed a blunder, there are going to be consequences. It’s cause and effect. Stand up tall and accept them. In fact, invite them. Saying something like, “I know that hurt your feelings. That’s the last thing I ever want to do. Let’s think about how I can make good on this” can let her know that you’re ready to bend over backwards to do penance for your misdeeds.<br /><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />3.    Prove You Get It</strong></div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> There are two parts to getting forgiveness – The Apology and Changing Your Ways. It can be difficult to prevent low-level mental lapses, like perhaps calling her by an old girlfriend’s name, but more substantial blunders should be tackled with a plan. Are you always late? Set up an online calendar that text messages you 15 minutes before important appointments. By creating a plan and explaining it to her you’re letting her know that you care enough to work hard at avoiding future trouble in this area.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4.    Let Your Past Help You</strong></div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Relationships don’t happen in a vacuum. If you’re normally a thoughtful, respectful man, bring that up in your defense when discussing a blunder. She may need to be reminded that you’ve never made a similar mistake in the past. Let your track record speak for your good intentions.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> It’s also a good idea to work on extending the benefit of the doubt to each other. When your love does something that seems thoughtless or hurtful, agree to give that person a pass until proven otherwise. Agree to assume that rather than being malicious, the person committed the blunder accidentally or without intent to hurt you. After all, 99% of the time that’s exactly what happened. By letting a track record of love and respect supersede a snap judgment, each person will save themselves a great deal of anger.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5.    If You’re Not at Fault, Speak Up</strong></div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Being willing to apologize when you’re wrong, gives you the right to stick to your guns when you’re not wrong. For some men, their entire relationship is a long series of, “I’m sorry” statements. You’ve got to be willing to stand up and say, “This isn’t my fault.” You’re not there to be a kick dog or to help someone avoid responsibility for their own shortcomings.</div> </div>

5 Ways To Recover From Relationship Blunder

Without a doubt there are some nasty men out in the dating world. Guys who use, abuse and laugh about it later; but they are the excep...

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Ten Destructive Relationship Habits To Give Up For Lent Today

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <div class="dek" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; clear: left; float: left; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img height="513" src="http://ih1.redbubble.net/image.7587022.1337/flat,550x550,075,f.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="640" /></div> <br /> <div class="dek" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 15px;"> Get ready for 40 days of relationship IMPROVEMENT.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40-day period of Lent. Even if you're not a Christian, the idea behind the season is interesting. It's a time of giving up vices and substituting more positive behavior in their place. Where better to try this out than in our relationships?</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> Every couple has their own unique blend of struggles, but here are 10 bad habits of action and communication that most <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">couples</strong> could stand to give up. This trial only lasts 40 days, but who knows? At the end, you might want to give up your bad habits permanently.</div> <div class="ym" id="ym_1003415940242979181" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">1. You say, "You always ..."</strong><br /> When you disagree, speak in "I" statements about your <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">own</em> feelings. Don't try to tell your partner how he or she feels or what he or she does. Instead, say, "I feel ...".</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">2. You take "I <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">love</strong> you" lightly.</strong><br /> It's not just a way to end phone calls or something to abbreviate in a text message. You worked hard to find—and keep!—this special connection. Say, "<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">I love you</strong>" out loud and in-person.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">3. You two shower seperately.</strong><br /> Get in there TOGETHER sometimes! After a while, couples stop noticing each other's bodies. The intimate act of washing your loved one (and all the <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">sexy</strong> stuff than can occur during and after) is worth taking turns under the shower head.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">4. You email each other WAY too much.</strong><br /> Instead of emailing your sweetheart a link to that funny YouTube video or posting something on a Facebook wall, share your thoughts on paper. Write a haiku or a knock-knock joke. Doodle. Check "yes" (not "no"). When was the last time you really looked at your partner's—or anyone else's!—handwriting?</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">5. You forget to say, "Please".</strong><br /> It's easy to fall into the habit of just telling your partner to do something. But sharing your life with someone is a GIFT. So say "Please" and "Thank you".</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">6. You distance yourself after a rough patch.</strong><br /> Touch your partner on the face or arms before bringing up a tough subject—it works much more effectively than words do. Then say what you need to say. This way you're keeping the connection alive.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">7. You CONSTANTLY complain.</strong><br /> Instead of complaining, try to tell your partner three things that you appreciate about him/her or the relationship everyday.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">8. You hyper-focus on everything he does WRONG. (And think he's a mind reader.)</strong><br /> Because he can't. Instead, remember that he will never think like a woman, and focus on what he does do for you and acknowledge it. And if you want something else, ask for it.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">9. You avoid couples therapy.</strong><br /> It's important to be proactive and find support before it gets worse. There are a multitude of marriage education resources on the web, ranging from counselors, coaches, ministers, psychologists, non-profit organizations, etc..</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">10. You give him what <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">you </em>want.</strong><br /> Instead of assuming you know what your partner needs to feel loved, ASK him. If love to your partner is more hugs and kisses, give them. If love is a night out with the guys, give it to him. Show your partner his kind of love for the ULTIMATE loving experience.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Which bad relationship habits do you think you should give up for Lent?</strong></div> </div>

Ten Destructive Relationship Habits To Give Up For Lent Today

Get ready for 40 days of relationship IMPROVEMENT. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40-day period of Lent. Even if you'r...

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4 Reasons Why Younger Women Date Much Older Men

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="section summary" id="section-0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: left; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img src="http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/RV-AD855_BMARRI_DV_20110805183710.jpg" /></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Many women are attracted to much older men. Men who are 15 or even 20 years older can appear more confident, more stable, and even sexier than their younger counterparts. An older date may have interesting stories to tell about his life, and he can expose you to a new world with exciting adventures. Older guys can also seem more stable, and many older men are looking to marry.</div> </div> <div class="section" id="section-1" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <h2 style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"> HE'S MATURE</h2> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> When a younger woman calls her date mature, she's not just referring to his age. An older man has a better sense of himself. He's well established in his career and his life. He doesn't engage in late-night drinking binges with his friends. Instead, a much older man has reached a more settled point of his life. He doesn't want to pick up a variety of women; instead, he is often looking to establish a serious relationship with just one woman.</div> </div> <div class="section" id="section-2" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <h2 style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"> HIS EXPERIENCE COUNTS</h2> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> When it comes to sex, an older male is perceived as knowing his way around the bedroom. He's had to time to perfect his technique, and he can show his younger lover a good sexual time.With an older man, women don't expect any awkward moments in the dark. They expect the guy to know exactly what he is doing and to take the time to meet their needs.</div> <div class="section" id="search-600" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-transform: uppercase;"><b>READY FOR COMMITMENT</b></span></div> </div> <div class="section" id="section-3" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Many older guys have already had time to experiment and play the field. Now, they are looking to settle down and commit to a long-term relationship or even to marriage. At this point in his life, he knows that he doesn't want to be alone, and he knows the type of woman who will make him happy. If they have not already had children with previous spouses, older men may wish to immediately marry and start a new family, Women who are ready to marry and have children find that much older men may be the perfect fit for them.</div> </div> <div class="section" id="section-4" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <h2 style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"> BETTER AT COMMUNICATING</h2> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Women are drawn to older men because they are better communicators. Men with an age advantage of 15 years or more have already been through previous relationships. They have learned from their mistakes. They will try not to repeat these actions as they work on a new relationship. Older guys may dwell less on jealousy issues and instead focus on communicating clearly with you so that there will be no misunderstandings. He will be ready to work at making this relationship succeed.</div> </div> </div>

4 Reasons Why Younger Women Date Much Older Men

Many women are attracted to much older men. Men who are 15 or even 20 years older can appear more confident, more stable, and even sexi...

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