Approach to Dating

1. Make Eye Contact: Catching a person's eye is the best way to begin. A simple, non-staring look conveys interest, especially if followed by a smile. Eye contact is only good when you want to talk to someone. If you're uncomfortable about someone who is attempting to make eye contact with you, break eye contact and do not follow up anymore
2. Ask Questions: Questions are good conversation starters. Sometimes they're your best avenue to get to know the person.
3. Be Sincere: Sincerity is a genuine desire to know someone If you want someone to be sincerely interested in you, be sincerely interested in that person.
4. Be Friendly: Friendliness is always attractive. This is a quality that invites conversation. Friendliness says, "I want to get to know you." but use a balanced approach to friendliness. Avoid being overly friendly with people you met.
5. Be Humorous: Humor is great icebreaker and can defuse a tense situation. Use it often, but use it wisely.

3 Strikes and You're Out

Want to come across in a negative way? You will if you come up to bat with these dating techniques.

Strike 1: Be arrogant. Let the person know that you're doing him or her a favor by even talking. Keep the conversation centered on yourself.

Strike 2: Be impatient. Keep looking at your watch or looking for someone better looking to come along. Don't waste a lot of time - just get the phone number.

Strike 3: Be insincere. Pretend that you're interested in what the person is saying. Communicate only enough interest to get what you want: that person's phone number or to get asked out.

Avoiding the Rebound

The only time you should be excited about a rebound relationship is on a basketball court. If the person you're considering dating is less than six months out of a serious relationship, you may be asking for trouble. For one thing, you've got the problem of the persistent ex, who's still trying to reconcile things. For another, you've got the 'comparison syndrome' to deal with. ('Such-and-such used to call me every night right before I went to bed so that his voice was the last thing I heard before i sleep.') Finally, you've got the very real possibility that the person you're dating still has feelings for the ex.

What to Do While You're Waiting for Mr. or Ms. Right

1. Learn about yourself: Without getting self centered, talk to your friends about what they see in you and what they'd like to see from you. Find out what you can about what makes you tick (and what makes you 'ticked', for the matter)

2. Improve yourself: We are not suggesting that you change to please someone else. We're suggesting that you take a good look at yourself - physically, spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually - and identify some areas you would like to work on.

3. Study other people's relationships: Ask your friends and family members what they would do differently if they were single again. Ask them what works in their relationships and what doesn't.

4. Get on with your life:  Instead of moping about your singleness, take advantage of it. Recognize that there are things you can do while you're single that you'll never be able to do when there's significant other in your life. Don't waste your single years just waiting for someone.

Good Friend

A good friend will listen to everything you have to say, but will not automatically agree with you. A good friend cares enough about you and is confident enough in your friendship to give you honest opinion. A good friend will tell you when you're out of line, point out when you're being selfish, and confront you when you've been hurtful. Most importantly, though, a good friend will do all of these things in a loving and compassionate way.