Too many times I’ve heard people say they’re scared to ask certain questions to the person they’re dating. “What if it’s too soon? What if I scare them off?” are usually their main concerns.

As a woman who was raised in the '90s, this advice seemed logical. I grew up watching TV shows with overly-eager girls asking out guys; the scenario ending in the girl seeming clingy.

I experienced it myself, too. Like the time I asked a guy I’d been dating for months and was going to prom with if he was my boyfriend. …

Imagine this: you have a packed week at work. Not only that, but the stakes are high because you have several big presentations. You’re barely squeezing in four hours of sleep. But then you get a text.

“Hey! It’s been forever since I’ve seen you!” reads the message from your friend, “I feel like you’re avoiding me. Let’s grab drinks tomorrow!”

How do you respond? If your impulse is to grab drinks with them, regardless of the fact it’ll cut into your already small window for sleep, then you might be a people pleaser.

People-pleasing is when someone will go…

Love is a beautiful, elusive experience.

The first time you fall in love with someone, it’s exhilarating. The sound of their voice can raise the hairs on your skin. Their smile makes you grin uncontrollably. Things you may have done many times before are somehow exciting and new with them.

But what about the second time? The third? Fourth? Fifth? Or are you someone who thought falling in love can only happen once? Because, if so, you’re in for a wonderful shock.

Most people fear their relationship becoming routine, which is a shame since even the best long-term relationships will…

About three years ago, I purposely took a year off dating. I came out of two crappy back-to-back relationships, and I knew I needed to change the parts of my love life that made me unhappy.

It wasn’t an easy decision. After ten years of back-to-back relationships, my identity felt enmeshed with whoever I was dating. And, to be frank, being alone terrified me. People around me talked so badly about being single.

But that year off dating was THE BEST decision I made for myself. And my experience made me realize that people drastically undervalue their time being single…

Dating can be exhausting, even more so if you’re going on one bad date after the next. But having read countless books and studies on dating, I refuse to believe that means you’re destined for a crappy dating life.

I prefer taking a different approach to things, one where you have more control than you think to get yourself out of a dating rut. Because dating should be a fun experience where you meet new people and learn more about yourself.

If you feel like dating is a chore, you’re not finding anyone worth pursuing, or you’ve run out of…

We all carry memories from our childhood into adulthood. Even the most seemingly insignificant experiences can still pop up in your mind, decades after they happened.

For me, it was the idea that I’d find someone to love and, after that, things would finally be easy. My memories of Disney princesses riding off into the sunset or Vivian being rescued by Edward in Pretty Woman buzzed through my head whenever I got into a relationship.

But that was never the case. I couldn’t seem to find that perfect relationship.

Years later, I realize how flawed the “happily ever after” notion…

Imagine an athlete who’s training for the Olympics. They have at least three years to get in shape, practice, prepare, and perform at their best. You’d assume they train every single day, right?

Wrong. Three years is a long time. Injuries are bound to happen. Their body needs rest. An athlete, just like any other person, needs to take care of their needs along their way to the Olympics.

Life is no different than those three years for an Olympian. It’s unpredictable and has its own obstacles. You’ll come across hard times and question what the hell you’re even doing…

Truly understanding someone is one of the most underrated aspects of a relationship, platonic or romantic.

Think of it this way: say you have a keen interest in France. You can read everything there is to read on their culture, learn the language, watch videos on their food, and listen to French music every day.

But you can’t possibly understand the rich culture and French people until you’ve immersed yourself in it. Until you’ve understood, directly from its people, what makes France what it is. Because we all know that every country is unique in its own way.

The same…