Are your conversational habits costing you dates?

by Dating Goddess on June 29, 2009

I vet potential dates via the phone before meeting. Why? Because if I don’t enjoy the conversation on the phone, it’s pretty much guaranteed I won’t enjoy the face-to-face. I know some people are uncomfortable on the phone, but in this day and age, if you can’t converse comfortably whether on the phone or in person, you’re not for me. In the last week I’ve had four potential suitors call me. Only one received an invitation for a repeat conversation.

Being a conscious conversationalist is critical to a long-term relationship — at least for me. Since I’ve encountered so many people who are conversationally challenged, I’m assuming it is as much of an issue for women as it is for the men I vet. Since it is doubtful your friends will volunteer that you are an inept conversationalist, as a public service I thought I’d delineate some of the most common conversational culprits.
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Does he know how to close?

by Dating Goddess on June 24, 2009

I love dating men with a sales background.

Why?

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Wanted: A man with a plan

by Dating Goddess on June 17, 2009

In Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, Steve Harvey says if a man doesn’t have a plan you should not fall for him.

A “plan” means a vision for his future and how he will get there. That plan needs to include a woman in it. I’ve been surprised that some men have a plan for themselves, but it doesn’t seem to have a woman. For example, a wealthy man I dated several times had already planned his retirement by buying a small, 2-bedroom condo hundreds of miles away to which he will move when he retires in a few years. He remodeled and furnished it how he likes it.

I admired that he was so proactive and had a clear plan. But what would he do about integrating a woman into this plan? I envisioned that if it worked out between us I’d have to buy the condo next door for me and my stuff! Or sell all my belongings, I guess. In our many hours of phone conversations, there was never any mention of, “This is my plan if I’m alone. If and when I am partnered again, we’d figure out a new plan together.”

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Review of “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man”

by Dating Goddess on June 10, 2009

act-like-a-ladyAct Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment

Generally, I like relationship books written by men for women explaining how men think and operate. Too many of us have difficulty fathoming how differently men function than women.

The book is divided into 3 sections:

  • The mind-set of a man
  • Why men do what they do
  • The playbook: How to win the game

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Is he a weed or a wild flower?

by Dating Goddess on June 3, 2009

gardenI’m a gardener. Every year new flora grow in my garden that I didn’t plant.

Some call these weeds. Others call them wild flowers. What you call them depends on your perspective.

While attending to some of these new residents in my garden, it reminded me of prospective suitors who come into our lives.

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Scotomas in dating

by Dating Goddess on May 31, 2009

The term “scotoma” means blind spot. We all have the physical ones in our eyes, and I’d guess that we all have psychological ones, too. It means we don’t see something that is right in front of us or is apparent to others.

In dating, it’s easy to have a scotoma for someone we really like. We can not see — or see but overlook — glaring signs that someone is not a good match for us. But we blissfully act as if those signs aren’t there.

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My gay “boyfriend”

by Dating Goddess on May 27, 2009

He sent a beautiful bouquet for my birthday last month, arranging for its arrival the day I returned home from SE Asia. He’s accompanied me to dress-up events, donning his Armani tuxedo with pleasure. He’s the epitome of a gentleman at these events, offering his arm to escort me, taking my coat and fetching it from the coat check, holding my chair to seat me, making sure my drink is never low, dancing when I want and schmoozing with my business associates, even ones I know he doesn’t like. He keeps himself buff, is current on world affairs, is respected as a thought leader, is generous with charitable contributions.

So why isn’t he my full time beau?

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This phrase doesn’t work in a job. So why do people think this concept will work in dating?

For example, it appears common thinking is:

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What’s your falling-in-love capacity?

by Dating Goddess on May 17, 2009

The other day I fell in love.

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Forfeiting being right for being loving

by Dating Goddess on May 14, 2009

I recently spent time with a long-married couple. Like nearly all long-term couples, they’ve developed habits they don’t even know they have. One of this couple’s favorite ones, it seems, is bickering over inconsequential details. For example, “We went shopping last Thursday…” “No, it was Wednesday.” “No, I’m sure it was Thursday.” Etc., etc., etc.

It got to the point where I could stand it no longer. I finally blurted out, “It really, really doesn’t matter what day it was.” That got them to move on.

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The low-speed chase

May 11, 2009

You’ve heard of cops engaging in high-speed chases to catch criminals. Then OJ Simpson made the low-speed chase a new buzz word when he was avoiding arrest. The concept can be applied to dating, although it is not to avoid incarceration. It might be to avoid entanglement, but it also might be a sound strategy [...]

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Notes from SE Asia

May 4, 2009

When I’m traveling abroad, I don’t always have commentary on dating, but I want to share with you part of my journeys. Thus this posting today.

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