Saturday, February 2, 2013

How To Get Your Ex Back Even If They're Stubborn

The problem with ex's is that you can't easily get them out of your mind or even your heart for that matter. But some people have distorted (or perhaps unusual) views about getting back with their ex's. Others might just kick them to the kerb and are not willing to give their partners a second chance. And there are some people who have a weird feeling about spending more time with somebody who had once broke their hearts. So, how are you supposed get this kind of a person back?

Here are some effective ways on how to get your ex back no matter how stubborn he or she might be:

1. Appeal to the heart

Let your heart speak directly to his heart. Sometimes, you don't need words to tell anybody how much you love them. You can communicate it and they would feel it somehow. Your ex certainly would if they were ever in tune with you at all during your relationship. This is a trick that can be a little too hard to master. But with your ex partner, you'll know how to do it in a way.

2. Avoid all the lies

Lies have no place in a relationship. So be sure when you open your mouth to speak, there will be only truth in your words. Tell your ex exactly how you feel. Doing so may make not always make you look good but it's a card that's worth playing if you want any future relationship to be on a firm and solid footing.

3. Don't give yourself false hopes

Nobody said that it is easy to revive a past relationship. Even the best-selling books on how to get your ex back can't give you a 100% guarantee that their tips would work for a particular set of circumstances. A lot of it will depend on how much your ex really loves you and how much sacrifice and forgiveness you're willing to make.

4. Look for the signs

You'll know if your ex still loves you if you catch him or her looking at you in that old way that they used to, although they won't be quick to admit it. He still cares if he is concerned about your usual affairs and goings on. Furthermore, he still loves you if he hates you. After all, you can't hate somebody you don't have any feeling towards with, can you?

What Is Shyness and Why Are Some Men Shy Around Women?

Do you struggle to talk to women? If you find your face goes three shades of red and your normal voice turns to a stammering mess, you could be painfully shy around women! This can be a big barrier to meeting and dating women, so if you have been struggling to make a love connection it is time that your understood more about shyness and better yet how to overcome it.

What is shyness?

Shyness is that uncomfortable feeling you get when you approach or are approached by new people. The level of anxiety will differ from one person to the next, and in some cases, it can become debilitating. Generally, shyness is a mere personality trait, which can lead to difficulty finding a date but otherwise it does not affect day-to-day life.

Causes

What exactly causes one person to be painfully shy while others exude confidence and love to be a part of the social scene? Scientists and researchers have not nailed down an exact cause of shyness; however, they do have some interesting hypotheses. Some evidence suggests that shyness is at least partially genetic and directly related to fear and it has been noted that children who are more fearful tend to grow up to be shy adults. Of course, environment and raising are also factors in whether a person will be shy, or not.

Social Phobia

It is important to note that there is a difference between being shy and suffering from social phobias. In extreme cases, social anxiety becomes so severe a person may find themselves afraid to leave their home. This disorder is known as agoraphobia and is the most extreme of the anxiety spectrum.

Shy or Introverted?

Another common misconception is mistaking introversion for shyness. An introvert does not avoid social interaction due to fear or anxiety, but instead because they prefer their own company. Introverts tend to become energized by time spent alone, but become drained by social interactions. Some introverts may also be shy, but introversion and shyness are not interchangeable.

Men and Women

As you can see, being overly shy can cause a multitude of problems, not the least of which is difficulty finding a date. If you experience anxiety and fear every time you meet someone new, it is going to be very hard for you to work up the courage to ask a woman out on a date. Thankfully, there are ways to work on overcoming your social anxiety.

Defeating shyness is a process and depending on your level of anxiety it could be a long process, but well worth the trouble. Start by pushing the limits of your comfort zone, gently at first. Make it a goal to meet at least one new person by the end of the week, for example. The next time you are faced with an awkward social situation, attempt to push through the fear and initiate a conversation. It is also important to work on your self-confidence levels; this may mean initiating some self-improvement efforts.

Conclusion

Why are some men shy around women and others exude confidence? This personality trait is shaped by a variety of influences, not the least of which is your childhood and genetic makeup. All this does not mean, however, that you are condemned to a lifetime struggle; you can overcome shyness with just a little time and effort. Of course, if you are struggling with severe social anxiety or phobias you will want to consult a professional who can assess your anxiety levels and discuss with you the best treatment options.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Dating Online - Are Free Dating Sites Worth the Trouble?

Online dating websites, like many things on the Internet, are usually run as businesses - organisations, or individuals, provide a service and take a fee for that service. Fair enough. But what about those sites that don't charge fees? Can they really provide the same quality of service as the bigger companies?

First of all, let's think about what "free" actually means. For one thing, a huge amount of dating site advertising claims that their particular site is free, but when you sign up, they very quickly direct you to an upgrade page. Usually, of course, eagle-eyed readers will notice the tell-tale phrases that should give the game away:

  • Free-to-join!
  • Free to search!
  • Review your matches for free!

All of which mean that you will, at some point, have to pay if you want to use their facilities.

Some sites though, will go so far as to declare that they are "completely free" or have "no hidden charges" and then when you've signed up and looked at a few profiles and want to make contact with someone, you'll get a little message pointing out that to send emails you do actually have to be a fee-paying member. Thankfully, these unscrupulous renegades are in the minority, so for the sake of clarity let's assume that when we talk about free dating sites, we do mean completely free of any charges whatsoever. Okay.

Quality Dating

So how can a free dating site provide good quality service? Probably the only way they're going to be able to do that successfully, is if they have money coming in to support their technical needs, web-hosting and server costs, not to mention staffing. There are some sites that are run by enthusiastic individuals who simply build dating websites to fill a particular niche that interests them, and these tend to be quite small with hundreds or thousands, rather than million, of members. Women Behind Bars, for example (although not completely free) is run by a chap who is clearly trying to offer a service for American women in jail who have no other way of building relationships with men on the outside.

Such small enterprises, because they are often run on a part-time basis, can be poorly organised, have very simple design and navigation tools and in some cases, are only updated two or three times a month. So, leaving the small fry aside, how do the rest of the free sites make money?

Affiliate Advertising

There's a huge market for advertising goods and services on the Internet, and in recent years a great many companies have emerged who coordinate affiliate advertising. How does this work? Well, let's say that wee Angus McTartan has a website about Scottish traditional dress and culture. He can approach companies like Commission Junction and Affiliate Windows and apply to join the campaigns of several advertisers whose products or services relate to his particular niche. Angus can then display adverts on his own site, with links back to those organisations, so when customers click on one of his ads, or sign up for a product or service, a small percentage of the earnings will arrive on his proverbial doormat. He can also sign up with individual companies who may not need the services of a huge company to organise their adverts.

The successful free dating sites then, make money by displaying adverts on their sites. The style of these can range from the quite subtle to the luridly over-the-top, and in some cases interfere with the layout of the website. preventing would-be daters from getting the most out of their online experience. Obviously the more visitors a site has, the greater chance there is that people will click on the ads, so it's in the interests of the owner to create a user-friendly experience, with plenty to see and do, as well as plenty of good quality profiles.

The effectiveness of any dating site is reliant on having enough profiles to keep new members interested. So if you're interested in a free dating site, where's the best place to look?

Here's a selection of some of my favourite free dating sites to get you started:

Meet Your Greens: niche site for vegetarians, earth mothers and anyone interested in saving the planet. Actually you don't need to be a badge-wearing eco-warrior to join, but with a strong community feel, you'll maybe get a more fulfilling experience here than with many of its competitors.

Honey Contacts: This one is for Russian daters and has a clear layout and good quality profile photos. Not much point joining if you don't live in Russia, but a very nice site anyway.

Zyngle: relatively new addition to the matchmaking scene that has a refreshing design and is easy to use. It's also free from all the paraphernalia that most dating sites tag on to keep people coming back, and means that dating is top of the agenda.

Oasis: these guys have been around for quite a while and with more than nine million members, are at the top of their game. It's also pretty busy and at any one time you'll find several thousand members online.

Smooch: This one isn't completely free, as there as extras to be had by upgrading, but you can certainly use it very successfully without paying a penny.

Whichever one you go for, bear in mind the small print: as always, if you don't read it, you might find you've signed up for something a little bit different to what you expected. As Sergeant Phil Esterhaus used to say "let's be careful out there."

What to Do If Guys Don't Like You

If you are a woman who is having a hard time with trying to find men then the odds are very good you might be doing something that is clearly turning them off from you. You have to think about the reasons why guys might not like you. This is needed so you might have a better chance with actually improving yourself so guys will be more interested in you after a while.

First, you have to start by being a little less conscious about your appearance. Many men who don't like you often say this because they feel you might be taking too long with getting ready for going places. Women who spend too much time preparing themselves for events are ones that just suck out the time from a man's life.

You have to focus on conserving your time and focusing more on being with a man while avoiding the need to get yourself prepared with too many extracurricular activities. This is a necessity so you might have an easier time with keeping your body running right.

Also, you need to concentrate on how you look when you smile. You need to smile with your eyes crinkling a bit. Men often don't like women who look too serious when they are trying to look happy. A woman whose eyes crinkle a bit will be more likely to be someone who is easier to trust in.

You may also want to take a look at how your waist is arranged. You might want to focus on losing fat and weight around the waist so you can get your hips to become a little more defined. Guys often don't like women who don't have their hips defined because these women tend to have unappealing shapes. Also, a woman who has a good hourglass figure might be more fertile. That is something that might work for your needs for attracting men.

You also need to think about what's fake around your body. Sometimes guys don't like women who have too many fake things around their bodies. These include fake hair extensions, lashes and other stuff. Guys won't like you if you have too many fake things because it suggests to them that you are a high-maintenance person. This is one of the last things that a man is going to want out of a woman in particular.

Finally, you need to think about how men might not like you if your eyes look unusual. Men just don't like to be distracted by eyes that look too unappealing. You can use a more controlled approach to eye makeup to keep this from being a hassle so a man won't be likely to feel bothered by your eyes.

You should make sure you do all these ideas if you want guys to like you. It might be easier for you to keep yourself going strong in relationships with other men if you are aware of what you could be doing to get yourself in touch with all of these people.

10 Sensible Tips For Online Dating

Online dating has become the fashionable new craze. If you have recently split up from your partner and are seeking a new relationship, there are hundreds of services online which can help you meet your future love. There are thousands of fortunate cases where people have got married as a result of online dating. To ensure you get the best experience, it is important to act with caution and follow a few simple rules which will help keep you safe:

1) Take your time to choose a legitimate site
Do your research and join an online dating service which has been highly recommended. DO NOT opt for a free service. These can attract potentially dangerous individuals who cannot be tracked as they do not need to provide any credit card information which can identify them. A membership fee will not be substantial and will be worth it in the long run.

2) No personal information
Do not by any means provide your full name, home phone number or home address. Even uploading one of the three can make it easy for an individual to locate you and find out private information about you. In the early stages of communication, keep this information safe.

3) Use a different email account to your usual
Most online dating sites will provide you with an anonymous and free email account. If however you choose to move your communication to a personal email address, create a separate email account from your usual one. Again most legitimate sites such as Hotmail, AOL, Yahoo offer free email accounts so stick one where no fee is involved. Select your email address carefully and do not include your full name. Don't make it easy for an unknown individual to track you down and find out more information about you.

4) Don't use your home phone to talk
If you feel ready to take the next step and move your communication to the next level, do not do so with your home telephone number. If possible use your mobile or Skype until you truly get to know the individual online better.

5) Check their photo is recent
Do not feel embarrassed to ask whether someone's photo is a recent one. And if someone does not have one already uploaded, ask to see one. You need to have a good image in your head of how the individual looks, especially if you eventually choose to meet. If when you do decide to meet and the individual does not look like there photo, then you are dealing with a fraud and must leave immediately.

6) Don't rush into things
Try not to be hasty when you have found a profile you like. Take things slowly and let the conversation gradually evolve. It's fine to initially make small talk, that's how you will get to know someone. If at any point there is something regarding the individual that makes you feel unsure, then move onto another profile. Ignore the fact they have a stunning picture, there are millions of other online individuals out there waiting for you.

7) Trust your instincts
If you start to feel uncomfortable, then chances are you're on to something. Majority of the time, your gut instinct is key to knowing when things are right or not. Whether you are reading someone's profile, having a conversation, or in the middle of a meeting, you will instinctively make a decision about that person. Sometimes you will feel 'wrong' and when this happens, trust yourself proceed with caution.

8) Assess their characteristics
As you begin to communicate more with an individual, you may pick up on certain tendencies or character traits they have. For example, if they appear aggressive or controlling on the phone or via email, it is time for you to walk away and move on.

9) Watch out for married individuals
It is unfortunate and sadly true but you will find some individuals are secretly already married. Watch out for key things which could be suspicious. They make call you at irregular times, you're always forced to leave a voicemail, even after a long amount of time they won't share their home number with you and they will not introduce you to any friends or family. It is the same rules really that applies outside of the world of online dating but apply them to this and judge whether something does not seem right.

10) Meet in public
If the exciting time arrives where you feel confident enough to meet in person, play it safe! Arrange to meet in a public place and arrange your own transportation; do not accept an offer to be picked up. Ensure you tell your friends where you are and who you have arranged to meet. If the individual looks different to their profile picture, turn around and walk away!

Stick to these simple tips and stay safe!

How To Get Your Ex Back And Enjoy The Magic Of Making Up

For whatever reason you broke up with your loved one but you have now decided you want to fix your relationship. How to get your ex back is a question you now need to answer. How do you go about trying to get your ex back?

The Upside and Downside Of Trying To Get Your Ex Back

Well first and foremost, you need to realise that there is an upside and a downside to trying to get back together with your ex. The upside is that although there are many couples breaking up every day all over the world, there are equally as many couples getting back together again. Therefore if you play your cards right, you could soon have your ex back in your arms and enjoy the magic of making up. The downside is that not all attempts to fix a relationship end with success, therefore you should be prepared for the fact that your efforts may not lead to success and, as painful as that may be, you should be prepared to slowly move on if things do not work out. Once you have got over the trauma of your relationship break up and you regain your self-confidence, you will realise that there are plenty of other fish in the sea.

Forgive, Even If You Do Not Forget The Causes of Your Break Up

It goes without saying that relationships between couples are based on trust. This mutual understanding is the glue that holds the relationship together and keeps the balance between the partners. Now, many relationships break ups occur when this trust is betrayed by a "perceived" wrongdoing on the part of one of the partners. The tremendous hurt felt by the other person in the relationship upsets the balance between them, eventually leading to a breakup.

I use the word "perceived" in the preceding paragraph deliberately because the betrayal of trust that causes deep hurt to one of the partners may not be as obvious as, say, one of them having an affair. Ironically, a lot of relationships survive infidelity because the wronged partner is prepared to work at saving the relationship after an affair if they feel their other, deeper needs are being met. On the contrary, the betrayal of trust may be as simple as one of the partners feeling they are not appreciated or supported by their partner in some way or other, and the other partner not being in tune with the feelings of aggrieved one.

Therefore, if you want to fix your relationship and you were the wronged party in the breakup, then you should be prepared to forgive your partner, even if you do not forget, otherwise your efforts to fix your relationship are doomed to failure because the past will keep rearing its ugly head. Similarly, if you are the one that caused the hurt, then you should be prepared to learn from your mistakes and avoid repeating them in the future. You both have to be prepared to put the past behind you if your relationship is to stand any chance of being successful in the future.

Strategy and Tactics

I hesitate to use the words Strategy and Tactics here because they are often associated with planning battles in war, but in a sense they are appropriate because you are involved in a battle to save your relationship and win back the love of your ex. Therefore, having laid the foundations for an attack on saving your relationship by taking on board the advice offered in the preceding paragraphs about how to deal with the causes of the breakup, you need to think about the practical steps you are going take to fix your relationship, particularly if you and your loved one have already separated.

To a large extent, your strategy and tactics will be determined by your individual circumstances, however, there are some general rules to follow in working out how to get your ex back.

Make Yourself Less Available

This advice may seem alien to the idea of getting back with your ex, but having less contact with your ex will allow you both time and space to cool off from the stresses and strains of your relationship. It will also give you, and your ex, the opportunity to take a good look at yourselves and your roles in the relationship. In addition, there is a lot of truth in the old adage "absence makes the heart grow fonder," therefore if you still love each other, then you will begin to miss each other.

Be Yourself

Be as natural and sincere as possible when in the company of your ex. Then your ex will see the person he or she was attracted to in the first place, which should conjure up memories of the good times you had when things were good between the two of you.

Beware Of Complacency

Beware of what I call premature reconciliation. The danger here is that when your relationship with your ex shows signs of being on the mend, you become complacent and fall back into your old ways because everything feels alright again.

Men and Their Money: The First Date

Money is not the root of all evil. People are the root of all money. People use money and people use people. It's the game of life. Life cannot be played without money. This is rule number one.

Men and their money became a subject of study after many years of dating and many years in the workforce. When I was young, my interest in men revolved around love. As I grew older, my interest changed to a psychological study revolving more around money than love. The change was slow and methodical occurring over the course of many years. The older I got, the more laborious my dates became. The date across the dinner table began to sound too much like the boss across the conference table. Their only focus of discussion was about money.

The men at the dinner table worried about the cost of the meal and drinks. When the check arrived, they quickly calculated the customary 20 per cent tip and exhaled in a manner similar to moaning while they mentally recalled the service to determine if there was cause for reducing the amount to 10 or 15 per cent instead. They quickly evaluated their server as though the restaurant demanded they complete a customer survey before being allowed to leave. They tried to remember how they were greeted, whether the server smiled brightly or if they could recall a stain on the server's white shirt. Then, they would try determining if the food was served fast enough or good enough to justify a tip. Some of them would comment on their opinion regarding the meal while others would sigh in resignation that the food and service was not bad enough to complain about. They only told me the amount of tip they planned to leave if they considered it a large tip and wanted to impress me with their generosity. They would frequently look at me to question whether I agreed with their financial decision or to inquire if I had any comments to add. I always indicated extreme pleasure with the meal and the server, even if I had any doubts. A good guest always compliments the host and, therefore, the food and service is always above average. The server always earns a tip. The exceptions to this rule are rare.

After determining the amount of tip to leave, my date would usually ask if I wanted to go somewhere else for after-dinner drinks. I seldom did. I am not particularly fond of alcoholic beverages and consider a glass of wine with my meal to be an extravagance I truly appreciate. If I drink more than two glasses of wine, I am ready to sleep and, therefore, no longer interested in a man's company. Most men find this rude, especially if I drank with dinner. This after-dinner question usually made me nervous because I did not know how to best answer it. If I had enjoyed his company, I would have been interested in going dancing or to a coffee shop for hot tea or dessert. Even when I was no longer interested in the man, I still did not want to appear rude after having eaten the meal he purchased and, therefore, did not want to decline his invitation. I was more concerned about being polite than I was about being honest.

Following a dinner date with one man, I did decline the after-dinner drink by claiming to have a headache. My date got so angry he sped the entire way to my apartment, only a few blocks away and slammed on the brakes so hard he left skid marks outside my apartment building. Once stopped, he leaned across me sitting in the passenger seat and threw the passenger car door open.

"Get out," he yelled.

Stunned and surprised, I got out of the car. He floored the gas pedal and drove away without even bothering to close the door. The door closed while he drove. I stood in the street watching him drive away and noticed that the shocks on his car must have been old and worn because his car bounced while he drove. Once inside my apartment and starting to feel safe, I called my girlfriend to ask why he got so angry about the headache I used as an excuse to end the date. I learned that this is frequently an excuse given by women and that the next time I wanted to end the evening early, I should use a different reason.

I felt guilty for having used an excuse for not wanting to continue the dinner date by going for more drinks or to another location to spend more time with him. If I had had his telephone number I might have called him as an attempt to soothe his ego. I wondered if he might call the next day, but hoped that he wouldn't. He didn't.

There were several reasons why I didn't want to continue the date with this man much longer past dinner. What offended me most was the way he treated the wait staff. I considered him rude. He would snap his fingers at the waiter to get his attention whenever he wanted another drink or something else delivered to the table. He did this often and would get annoyed if the waiter didn't rush to his side.

Then, after the waiter arrived, he would order something as though the waiter was hard of hearing. While the waiter was away fetching whatever this man requested, my date would complain about the service as though it was the worst he had ever received. He spent most of the date complaining about the service, the food or the decor. It was a fine restaurant, yet this man did not seem to have anything to discuss other than himself and the poor service he felt he was receiving. He was trying to impress me with his importance by ordering the staff around, complaining about the food or finding fault with almost everything. Instead of impressing me as he intended, he appeared insignificant instead. What could have been a nice evening turned into an evening of aggravation instead. When the check arrived, I feared he would make an even bigger scene by searching for a reason not to pay. The man was rude, arrogant and more concerned about himself than he was with his date.

Thus, when he asked if I wanted to go somewhere else after dinner, I almost groaned at the thought of spending any more time with him. I was rather inexperienced at dating in those years and spent my time in the ladies' room trying to come up with an excuse to get home immediately. I was rather proud of my decision to claim a headache since it was too late to feign the flu. I was shocked when he practically dragged me to the car as he escorted me out. I really didn't care at the time, provided he got me home quickly. The fast ride and the even faster deposit in the middle of the street were reminiscent of the way he treated the wait staff. In retrospect, I was probably fortunate that was the worst thing he did. I was even more fortunate that he did not call again.

As a result of my experience with this man, I decided to refrain from allowing men to pick me up at my place when asked on a first date. I began to offer to meet them at the designated location instead. I wanted to know them a little better before agreeing to ride in their car. I also learned to avoid dating men who already appeared cheap. If they worry more about the cost of dinner than they do about me, they aren't worth dating in the first place. This is especially true since they are the ones to select the location and, therefore, the cost of the date. If they can't afford the restaurant they choose, then they can't afford to date. He could have selected a pizzeria and a glass of wine if he didn't consider his cash flow large enough to dine at a four-star restaurant. I would have preferred a pizza and a pleasant evening to a steak dinner filled with complaints.