“I want to be married by the time I’m 35. I’m going on a first date with a guy I like and want to make sure he knows I’m interested in a serious relationship.”

"Playful" by Mimi Stuart
Live the Life you Desire

Hold on. Instead of making your first date an interview to find the perfect mate, take your time, enjoy the moment, and see how you like each other first.

Putting all your hope in the future with any person, let alone someone you hardly know, scares people away. Excessive zeal for marriage comes across as desperation or being uncomfortable in your own skin.

You might look within yourself and ask what you are hoping to attain through marriage before committing yourself to a man you hardly know.

If you go into a relationship with specific goals that involve status (getting married, having children…), your expectations of fulfillment are likely to be disappointed.

Specific expectations invite disappointment. Have fun,enjoy the moment, and see where it takes you.

by Alison Poulsen, PhD

Read “If only I found the right man to love then I would be happy.”

Read “Too Responsible to Enjoy.”