Advice for Men on Dating After 40

Dating After the Age of Forty By Tammy M Fletcher

"I'm single again and I don't remember how to go on a date!"

"We spent the whole dinner talking about my ex-husband and his late wife. Needless to say, we didn't exactly spark."

"What do women want these days? I haven't dated since 1985!"

Sound familiar? If you are over 40 and find yourself in the dating pool again, it might feel like you can't remember even how to dog paddle in the shallow end. Baggage, history, exes, kids....how can you wade through all this to find a connection with a new love interest? Here are some do's and don'ts to help you navigate unfamiliar waters:

DO:

* Show an interest in your date. Ask about her work, or about his hobbies. Movies, books, music, travel, food - all are great icebreaker topics and a way to get to know the person you are spending time with.

* Give your undivided attention. Put the iPhone on vibrate, resist the temptation to update your Facebook status while waiting for the appetizer to arrive ("Having a great first date!"), make eye contact, and listen.

* Put your expectations aside and enjoy yourself. Even if there is no love connection right away, look at the date as a chance to get to know someone new and have fun.

* Leave your baggage at the door. A date is a fresh chance to meet someone, get to know them, and spend a pleasant time together. We all have baggage, but there is no need to bring it along to weigh down your time together.

DON'T:

* Spend the date talking about your ex. Whether you are sharing the scoop on why the relationship fell apart and all the ways you were done wrong, or describing your ex in glowing terms, this time is about you and your date.

* Expect a love connection on the first date. Expectations create static in your thoughts that can distract you from having a good time. Be in the moment and see how things unfold.

* Feel pressured to move any faster than you feel comfortable with. Even a first kiss may feel like you are rushing things. When the moment is right to move things along, you'll know. Remember when you were young and holding hands for the first time made you feel giddy with excitement? There is something to be said for taking it slow.

* Feel like damaged goods because you are divorced, older, or have experienced pain or sadness. Your life experiences have made you who you are today.

The most important thing to remember is - if you feel good about yourself, it will come across to everyone you meet. Dating is a fun way to explore new relationships, but it is not the ultimate goal in your newly single life.

Tammy Fletcher, M.A., IMF, CFT works with individuals and couples in the San Diego area. Her website is http://www.fletchertherapy.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tammy_M_Fletcher

Good Advice on How to Find Someone to Love

Don't Give Up on Trying to Find Someone Love

Sometimes when we have struggled for so long to find someone to love we are tempted to just throw in the towel, give up, and accept things the way they are. You're tempted to just accept this as your fate in life that you're not going to find anyone.

From my experience, I can tell you that you must be patient because things can change in the blink of an eye. Someone special can literally fall out of the sky when you least expect it. Things can and will turn aroundif you will just be patient and hang in there.

I encourage you today to keep on believing, keep hoping, and keep having faith that things will turn around in your dating life. You must not let the enemy drag your thoughts down in believing that things are hopeless in your meeting, attracting the woman of your dreams.

Keep believing that your time is coming and soon you are going to meet and date someone very special that will fill your life with lots of love, romance, and happiness.

I sincerely hope this article gives you the strength to believe that your breakthrough in meeting someone special is coming soon.

How to Meet Women Using Relatives, Friends, Co-workers

How to Meet Women with the Help of Others

This is an ideal way to meet women. Just make a list of all your friends, relatives, and co-workers. Then contact them by phone or in person and ask them if they know of any single women they could introduce you to. It's nothing to be embarrassed about when asking. You're just wanting some female companionship.

Meeting women this way is very natural and these people can usually tell you a lot about the woman. Some will really enjoy playing the role of cupid. Who knows, you may meet the love of your life, just by asking around.

In conclusion, here's the script to use when contacting these people: "I am expanding my social circle of female friends. Could you introduce me to some of your single female friends?"

How to Meet Women at Art Galleries

How to Meet and Approach Women at Art Galleries

Go to any art gallery (especially on the weekends) and you'll see plenty of women. Some of these women aren't just there because of their appreciation for art. They are there to meet a guy like yourself.

An art gallery provides a perfect setting to approach women. The atmosphere is very friendly and the women aren't going to feel uptight and threatened when you try to meet them.

Approaching a woman in an art gallery is very simple. All you have to do is walk over to a woman standing in front of a painting and make a comment on the painting. Another variation to this is to stand in front of a painting yourself and when a woman passes by, you make a comment to her about the painting. After you've made contact say, "Would you mind if I tour the gallery with you?" Afterwards you can invite her out to get something to eat or to go have a drink somewhere.

5 Things You Must Never Do on a Dining Date

How to Turn Women Off on a Dining Date

1. If you are eating soup, please do not slurp your soup. This is bad manners and will turn off your date.

2. If you do talk on your cell phone (which is rude when on a date) do not talk loud. This will annoy your date and the other patrons in the restaurant.

3. Do not talk with your mouth full. This is gross and who wants to look at someone's food in their mouth.

4. Do not flirt with your waitress. This could make your date never want a second date with you.

5. If you bring a kid or kids with you on a date, do not let them run wild in the restaurant. This will disturb others and prevent them from enjoying their meal.

How to Meet Women While Skiing

How to Meet Women at Skiing Resorts

Skiing resorts are real "hot" meeting spots consisting of mostly singles and groups. You won't see many couples and you will see plenty of women. I'd highly recommend spending part of your annual vacation at a ski resort.

How do I plan a skiing vacation? Just contact your local travel agent and they will be able to assist you. Some airlines offer ski tour packages and charter flights. These charter flights are golden opportunities because all of you will be going to the same destination. You'll be able to make friends on the plane. Be sure and sit next to a woman or a group of women. Then just strike up a conversation. This way you can have some women lined up before you even get to the resort.

You may be saying to yourself, "I don't know how to ski." Well this is no problem. There will be a lot of beginners there just like yourself. You'll need to take lessons and there's a lot of advantages to this. You'll be exposed to lots of women in the class and will have opportunities to meet them. Just be sure and take group lessons so you'll be exposed to a number of women.

You can meet women first at the ski lift. Everyone will be standing around chatting while waiting to go up the lift. Being that most lifts have chairs built for two people, just ask a woman, "Would you like to ride up with me? Most rides are of a long duration, so you'll have plenty of time to converse on the way up.

Nightlife is booming and the action is hot around the resorts. The bars, nightclubs, and restaurants are loaded with nice women looking for a good time. That's where you come in at.

So what are you waiting for? Why not plan a ski trip and have the time of your life?

Advice on Meeting Women at Theatre Groups

How to Meet Women at Theatre Groups

Large metropolitan areas have numerous amateur theater groups. They can also be found in small communities. These groups are full of nice men. Backstage romances are very common.

Contact one of these groups and volunteer your services. If you act or feel like you could act, try and land a part. If possible, try to select a part where you will kiss or hug an actress. A professional actor wouldn't take these things to heart but a small -town girl will get off on them. Your reward, of course, comes when she accepts an invitation to your home to "rehearse."

If you don't care to act, there are plenty of activities you can participate in such as prop, stage hand, set designer, advertising, ticket taker, etc. Take anything, even if it's cleanup. The main objective is participation.

You'll be working with the crew and will be spending a lot of time together. You'll become close and you will feel like one big family. This leaves the door open to intimate relationships with the opposite sex.

Another advantage to working with a theater group is that you will be participating in a lot of social activities. There will be backstage get-togethers and lots of parties. These are golden opportunities for meeting the women.

Look into this way of meeting women. It will be a lot of fun and increase your circle of friends.