I like being single and I like dating.

But sometimes, I get so tied up in the fact that I want a relationship and don’t have one that I forget to look at what’s going on around me.

I forget about all of the things I have going for me. I forget about actively building my own life right now instead of passively waiting around to meet my “person” and watching my life go on without me.

I call this “relationship tunnel vision.”

Here are a few things I do when I feel myself fixating on the one thing I…

Before you get mad at me, let me explain.

And then you can get mad at me.

“Ghosting” is when you cut off all communication with someone you’re dating without explanation and completely disappear. I’ve done it before, and it’s been done to me before.

And it’s okay.

Now wait — I’m not saying that it’s fine to go out with someone, get really close to them, spend a lot of time with them over the course of several months, have them thinking things are going really well, and then one day cut off contact out of nowhere.

That’s not…

As the Joker once said in The Dark Knight, “If you’re good at something, never do it for free.”

And he has a point. If there’s something you enjoy doing and you’re good at it, why not make money doing it?

It’s okay to take your hobby and turn it into your livelihood. In fact, I think that’s awesome. But don’t feel like you have to monetize your hobby — especially if it adds too much pressure or stress to your life.

Money equals stress

If you’re good at something, it’s okay to do it for free and enjoy yourself. …

We all know those people. The ones who are “naturally talented” at a sport or an instrument or an art form and make the rest of us feel like human garbage because we can barely dribble a basketball without tripping or can only draw half a stick figure.

Well, I’m here to tell you to suck it up. Don’t use these “naturally talented” people as an excuse for not trying your best, and for not trying hard things.

You’re a perfectly capable human

People use “natural talent” as an excuse for why they’re not as good at something as someone else. …

I’ve been single for most of my life.

I’ve grown accustomed to doing what I want without having to factor anyone else into the equation. I live alone, I sleep alone, I eat alone. I enjoy going to restaurants, movie theaters, concerts, and vacations alone.

I like myself and I like my own company. I like the life I’ve created.

So when it comes to dating and bringing someone else into my life, I’m very protective of it. I have high expectations of a partner, which is why I’ve chosen to be single for so long.

If you’re single — there’s nothing wrong with you

If the other person…

I’m never going to date someone I don’t find attractive.

Find someone who disagrees, I dare you.

That doesn’t make me shallow. It makes me human.

And it’s okay to love someone for the way that they look. Love and physical attraction go hand in hand.

But, you have to make sure that you love both who the person is and what they look like. If you only love their looks and not their personality, then that’s not real love. That’s lust, or attraction.

With attraction, you can’t make something out of nothing

Attraction is more complicated than just physical attributes, although those are contributing factors. Attraction can grow…

It all started when my mom rearranged the spice cabinet.

My 2020 saga involved moving from a booming metropolis back to my Podunk hometown and living with my parents again.

I’m 28, so you can imagine the existential crisis I am having. There’s nothing wrong with living with your parents. But for me, who moved out when I turned 18 and never dreamed of going back? It’s a bit of an adjustment.

I’m grateful to be able to be around family during this tough year (or more). But being trapped in a house, doing the same thing and seeing the…

We’ve all been guilty of this at some point.

A relationship ends, and at first, you’re either heartbroken or relieved. After a mourning period, you eventually get on with your life. You start dating other people again.

But you keep comparing them to your ex. Or, you keep waiting to feel the same way for this new person that you felt about your ex.

Then, inevitably, you start missing your ex. You start wondering why you ever broke up in the first place. You were good for each other, right? Things with them really weren’t that bad — in fact…