1.Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The golden rule. No real shocker there. This extends past "don't be a d1ck, and don't let others be a d1ck to you". It means: be the type of person you want to date. You want to date someone that is fit? Then exercise. You want someone who is intelligent? Then study. You want someone with passions? Then get out there and discover/follow/pursue your passions. Know your strengths and weakness, and most importantly know your own self worth.
2.Everyone has their free will. Realize that everyone has their free will to choose for themselves. This means that sometimes they will use that free will in ways that will, intentionally or unintentionally, hurt or upset us. You can do everything right, and still get hosed. Things don't work out the vast majority of the time. That comes with the territory of dating, and life in general. The sooner you realize it and can get past it, the better.
3.Two people can share the same experience, and walk away having experienced two completely different things. This one really blows my mind. On several occasions, I have been driving home from a date, thinking something along the lines of "Wow, that was really great. We had such a real, tangible connection." Just to find out, when I ask her on another date, she just wasn't feeling it. It's crazy to me that something that I felt was so real and obvious, was only felt by me. When that is the case, accept it, and move on.
4.There will always be another "one", but it is up to me to go and find her. Let me first say that I don't believe in the notion of "the one", that there is one person in the world that we are destined to be paired to. To me, this notion totally disregards our free will. I have been in love with someone and thought "Wow, there is absolutely no way I could love any other person the way I love her." Fast forward a few years and I found myself thinking the exact same thing about a different girl. You choose who you are with; you choose who you love. Likewise, they do the same. On a side note, I think it important to realize that you can fall in love with someone that you shouldn't. If things don't work out, then alright, there will be someone else, but it is up to me to get out and go find her.
5.Know and love yourself before you try to love others. The sooner you know who you are and where your lines are, the sooner you'll find someone who loves you for that and doesn't try to change you. Learn to have opinions. It's ok to hate Italian food. It's ok to make soccer the #1 priority in your life. Just be honest about who you are and what you like and don't like. You will never be able to please every single person. Accept that and don't settle for someone who doesn't love you for who you are inside. If you're wishy washy about yourself, the person across from you has no idea what they're getting if they start a relationship with you. And if you love yourself, you will never feel like you need another person. Love your life. Love your girlfriend too. But if she left today, you'd still have your awesome life to turn to. If you compromise so far that you lose touch with your own life and what makes you unique, then you're probably in an unhealthy relationship with someone that isn't right for you.
2.Everyone has their free will. Realize that everyone has their free will to choose for themselves. This means that sometimes they will use that free will in ways that will, intentionally or unintentionally, hurt or upset us. You can do everything right, and still get hosed. Things don't work out the vast majority of the time. That comes with the territory of dating, and life in general. The sooner you realize it and can get past it, the better.
3.Two people can share the same experience, and walk away having experienced two completely different things. This one really blows my mind. On several occasions, I have been driving home from a date, thinking something along the lines of "Wow, that was really great. We had such a real, tangible connection." Just to find out, when I ask her on another date, she just wasn't feeling it. It's crazy to me that something that I felt was so real and obvious, was only felt by me. When that is the case, accept it, and move on.
4.There will always be another "one", but it is up to me to go and find her. Let me first say that I don't believe in the notion of "the one", that there is one person in the world that we are destined to be paired to. To me, this notion totally disregards our free will. I have been in love with someone and thought "Wow, there is absolutely no way I could love any other person the way I love her." Fast forward a few years and I found myself thinking the exact same thing about a different girl. You choose who you are with; you choose who you love. Likewise, they do the same. On a side note, I think it important to realize that you can fall in love with someone that you shouldn't. If things don't work out, then alright, there will be someone else, but it is up to me to get out and go find her.
5.Know and love yourself before you try to love others. The sooner you know who you are and where your lines are, the sooner you'll find someone who loves you for that and doesn't try to change you. Learn to have opinions. It's ok to hate Italian food. It's ok to make soccer the #1 priority in your life. Just be honest about who you are and what you like and don't like. You will never be able to please every single person. Accept that and don't settle for someone who doesn't love you for who you are inside. If you're wishy washy about yourself, the person across from you has no idea what they're getting if they start a relationship with you. And if you love yourself, you will never feel like you need another person. Love your life. Love your girlfriend too. But if she left today, you'd still have your awesome life to turn to. If you compromise so far that you lose touch with your own life and what makes you unique, then you're probably in an unhealthy relationship with someone that isn't right for you.
