Dating advice. You don't think you need it until there is a problem. Whatever your need, someone "who has been there done that" on this dating blog has an answer. For serious relationship challenges, see a professional counselor, not all contributors are licensed on this blog. Dating advice, relationship tips, communication skills, red flags, healthy boundaries, love, marriage, and personal growth.
Are You In Denial that Your Man or Woman is Controlling, Manipulative?
Sometime back, I posted this video from my YouTube channel: nmenterprise7 and I asked my listeners were they in love or in manipulation? Are you? There are those times in our dating experiences or relationship struggles that we may find ourselves being manipulated or controlled by a partner without knowing. You may be the one who is trying to wake up a relative or good friend, but he or she isn't listening.
When one is in love with a controlling or manipulative person, he or she is not going to see the truth until the relationship begins to spiral downward, it is then that this person will start to talk back to her partner, argue, or complain to relatives and friends about him or her. When you know you are guilty of doing and saying things to make your partner go where you want to go, say what you want him or her to say, and perform in ways that you know really aren't a part of one's personality, upbringing, culture, etc. Then you must step back from the relationship, look at it from the outside in, and ask yourself, "Am I doing these things? Then immediately start seeking ways to stop persuading, suggesting, conning, and threatening your partner to perform your will when you know he or she doesn't really want to.
As for those in relationships where you feel like the world revolves around your partner, it is time to build a life that doesn't always include your partner. Start watching TV shows alone, be busy with your own projects, avoid being so available to your partner everytime he/she wants you to do something, visit places you always wanted to see but your partner wouldn't let you, and cook, clean, and errand-run without relying on your partner so much or doing all these things so often for your partner. Take a moment and think about what you have done or not done to permit someone to rule you.
Too often men and women in relationships get too comfortable with one another and create expectations for one each other that will not always be adhered to. For example, a partner will forget to do some things for you it doesn't mean that it is the end of the world. Acting independently at times doesn't mean you will always stay that way, but you need to empower yourself and live the kind of life that is not making you or your partner miserable.
Nicholl is the author of When Mothers Cry and other books.
When They Expect You to Date Your Own Kind
Ignorant people have a way of putting their prejudices off on others. If they don't like a certain ethnicity, gender, culture, language, etc. they assume that you feel the same way simply because you might look or sound like them. But with so much marketing of all sorts of relationships, whatever you thought was typical, normal, or okay is being suppressed slowly but surely. The typical American couple looks nothing like the magazines of yesteryear.
Interracial relationships, divorced partners, same sex partnerships, age-gap dating, open marriages, and more are the new norm. Despite the stares and the comments, people will continue to date who they want, when they want and how they want. Some couples simply don't care what anyone has to say about their choice in a mate.
You might fit in one of the above mentioned groups. You may have received some negative comments from people about your selection in a date. For some, you might have been pushed out of certain circles because you chose "not to do as the Romans do." Fighting back with the same hurtful statements, eye rolls, stares, and more does nothing but create more animosity in an already tense setting. A relationship that just might make it, may not when individuals are under stress about what outsiders say and do. For many successful couples, they have learned to enjoy their lives, despite opposition, and keep those close who are in support of them. But keep in mind too, that relationships typically don't last as long as family bonds. Therefore, making a relative who sincerely loves and cares about your well-being an enemy would be foolish! Never assume that the effort you put into maintaining your relationship will be met with the same passion by a mate who may not be completely sold out or willing to stand up to others to keep you.
Many of us have spent years fighting people, places and things to accept our personal lifestyle choices. Notice I said, personal. What you do behind closed doors is ultimately your business and no one else's--that is until you come out in the open with your love interest. For some people, especially loved ones, they make your business their business. From the young woman who chooses to date an older man to the white guy who brings home an Asian woman, people who don't like couples who aren't like them will always have something to say.
"Take the bitter with the sweet," a relative once told me, so I did. I made a point to enjoy all my love interests prior to choosing a more conservative lifestyle. Whether he was black, white, red or yellow, I always knew someone somewhere would be waiting for that opportunity to tell me about "Those type..." or question me about "them."
My advice to anyone in an unusual relationship is to find out what completes the two of you and why you sincerely want to partner with this person. If it is because of sexual reasons, material wealth, fame, a personal fetish for a certain skin tone or body frame, etc.--best wishes--because most relationships built on shallow reasons don't go the distance. Sooner or later personal prejudices show up and show out. "My mother always told me about your kind...why did I bother...you people are something else...my dad told me about your type!" Uh oh!
Sometimes it takes a series of breakups to really know what you want. Personal discomfort, outside influences, arguments, and more contribute to the failure of many relationships. If you can get pass the issues, forgive one another, and work together, love just might conquer all.
Ignore the negative people and the fearful critics (who only wish they could be so bold,) and allow true love to permeate your mind, body and spirit!
Nicholl McGuire is the author of Laboring to Love an Abusive Mate and Laboring to Love Myself.
Interracial relationships, divorced partners, same sex partnerships, age-gap dating, open marriages, and more are the new norm. Despite the stares and the comments, people will continue to date who they want, when they want and how they want. Some couples simply don't care what anyone has to say about their choice in a mate.
You might fit in one of the above mentioned groups. You may have received some negative comments from people about your selection in a date. For some, you might have been pushed out of certain circles because you chose "not to do as the Romans do." Fighting back with the same hurtful statements, eye rolls, stares, and more does nothing but create more animosity in an already tense setting. A relationship that just might make it, may not when individuals are under stress about what outsiders say and do. For many successful couples, they have learned to enjoy their lives, despite opposition, and keep those close who are in support of them. But keep in mind too, that relationships typically don't last as long as family bonds. Therefore, making a relative who sincerely loves and cares about your well-being an enemy would be foolish! Never assume that the effort you put into maintaining your relationship will be met with the same passion by a mate who may not be completely sold out or willing to stand up to others to keep you.
Many of us have spent years fighting people, places and things to accept our personal lifestyle choices. Notice I said, personal. What you do behind closed doors is ultimately your business and no one else's--that is until you come out in the open with your love interest. For some people, especially loved ones, they make your business their business. From the young woman who chooses to date an older man to the white guy who brings home an Asian woman, people who don't like couples who aren't like them will always have something to say.
"Take the bitter with the sweet," a relative once told me, so I did. I made a point to enjoy all my love interests prior to choosing a more conservative lifestyle. Whether he was black, white, red or yellow, I always knew someone somewhere would be waiting for that opportunity to tell me about "Those type..." or question me about "them."
My advice to anyone in an unusual relationship is to find out what completes the two of you and why you sincerely want to partner with this person. If it is because of sexual reasons, material wealth, fame, a personal fetish for a certain skin tone or body frame, etc.--best wishes--because most relationships built on shallow reasons don't go the distance. Sooner or later personal prejudices show up and show out. "My mother always told me about your kind...why did I bother...you people are something else...my dad told me about your type!" Uh oh!
Sometimes it takes a series of breakups to really know what you want. Personal discomfort, outside influences, arguments, and more contribute to the failure of many relationships. If you can get pass the issues, forgive one another, and work together, love just might conquer all.
Ignore the negative people and the fearful critics (who only wish they could be so bold,) and allow true love to permeate your mind, body and spirit!
Nicholl McGuire is the author of Laboring to Love an Abusive Mate and Laboring to Love Myself.
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