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AJC.com > Living > Blog > Archives > 2008 > June > 27
Friday, June 27, 2008
Back to basics
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Good morning!
Today will be my last entry on the MIA blog! I’ve enjoyed navigating the dating scene with all of you for the past year!
I find myself wondering what, if anything, I’ve learned about my dating life in the past year. And it’s this: always go back to the fundamentals. The basic things I knew to be true four years ago are still true, and it’s only when I stray away from those that I find myself unhappy with my dating situation.
FUNDAMENTAL #1: Be choosy about who you date. I found myself questioning some precautions I’d been taking in dating this year, wondering if I was being too picky about who I let into my heart. But as soon as I let my guard down, BAM! I got my heart jerked around. I need to be picky by acknowledging any red flags from the get-go, because it always ends up saving me a lot of emotional trauma later.
FUNDAMENTAL #2: Dating is easy. You call, you go out, you have a good time. Rinse and repeat. Any confusion, pain, or otherwise negative feelings associated with this process simply means they’re not into you. (Actual relationships, including marriage, are a little more complicated. But nothing should be difficult during the dating process!)
FUNDAMENTAL #3: Trust your gut. It’s a cliché, but we don’t really trust our own instincts sometimes. If you think he’s cheating, he probably is. If you think she slept with your friend, she probably did. If you think that hottie giving you the sizzle eyes is trouble, he or she probably is. This concept applies to almost every situation, yet sometimes I’m so goo-goo-eyed “in like” or in love that I forget how effective it is!
What sort of dating fundamentals would you add to this list — things you’ve known for a long time but sometimes have to remind yourself of? Possibly things your family or friends taught you a long time ago or things you learned the hard way? What basics do you always go back to after years of dating?
Happy Friday and happy dating everyone!
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