For one moment, stop looking at your stocks and your 401K – it’s bad out there. And it’s getting worse by the moment.

But perhaps there’s a bright spot in all of this gloom and doom.

When people are feeling low, they naturally look for ways to get themselves into a better mood. And what better way to break a funk than to look for love? People want to be with others and this can boost your chances of finally finding someone to share your life with.

Just look at the online dating world and the singles crowd in your town. You’ll see more and more people signing up and hooking up.

Things might be bad out there, but you can find someone to share your woes with and someone who not only understands, but who is also looking for something to celebrate in their lives – and that something might be you.

So, instead of hiding under a rock until 2010 (or whenever things are going to look up again), you might want to start getting out more for singles meets and signing up for online dating services. You may just find that riches are more than just the totals of your retirement accounts. Perhaps love really is what conquers all – recessions included.

News & Views Love, Meet, Money, Recession, Romance, Singles

From coast to coast, people are looking for one thing – someone to love. And whether they choose to use online dating options or they go the old-fashioned route, there are a few lessons you can learn from the mistakes (and the successes) of others just like you.

Geography doesn’t matter in the land of love – only how you travel to your final destination.

First of all, being yourself is the main lesson that all of us could learn. We often believe that in order to impress someone else, we need to become someone else, but this is far from the truth. What we do need to do is to learn to accept who we are, even with our flaws, and flaunt the positive.

This means – women, don’t spackle on makeup to look ‘perfect’ and men, don’t fluff up your credentials or your achievements to seem successful.

Secondly, you want to make sure that you are clear about what you want from your relationship from the very start. Just want to date someone for fun? Tell your new partner that.

Looking for a long term relationship? Tell them that too.

This way, you can both be on the same page, and no one can ever say, “Oh I didn’t know that you wanted….”

Finally, if there’s any tip that works for both genders in every dating scenario, it’s this one – realize that it might not work. You shouldn’t put all of your hope and your energy into one person because it’s probably fairly reasonable to assume that they might not be the ‘one’ you’ve been looking for.

Go into each date and each relationship as though you could fall in love, but if it doesn’t happen, that’s okay too.

Move onto the next lucky date!

Dating Essentials, Diary Love, Relationship, Singles, Travel

While we can sit back and point out all of the flaws in our dating life, maybe it’s time to start pointing out what we’ve done right – for a change. So often, we sit and we wonder, “Why am I alone?” But while this question is not going to be quieted any time soon, the validity of asking it in the first place is questionable.

Here’s the thing – being single is not a disease or something that needs to be ‘fixed.’ In thinking that you have some sort of problem, you begin to create the feeling that YOU are the problem.

And as the saying goes, “It takes two to tango.”

Being in a relationship (or not) is rarely the fault of one person. Since you need to have two people come together who both enjoy each other’s company and who are actively ready to be in a relationship, it’s almost as though the stars do need to align in a very precise manner in order for love to blossom.

Instead of simply giving up and taking the blame, you need to get out and start living the life you do have. Sign up for classes, become a part of your neighborhood watch, etc. Do things that make you happy. After all, people want to date someone who’s vibrant and alive – not someone who’s mopey.

That part IS your fault. But fixing it is easy.

Self Confidence, Tips and Ideas Attractive, Lonely, Relationships, Singles