Love Lessons part 2

*Be wary of doing or saying things that make you seem like you don't matter as much as he does. You do. I am not advocating a parade of your accomplishments on date one-it isn't a job interview! But don't sell yourself short or be overly critical. It's not humility, it's insulting to the awesome person that you are. He will pick up on this and treat you accordingly. Regardless of how nice he is, if you are constantly degrading yourself, eventually he'll jump on the bandwagon.

*When one relationship ends, its actually OK to be single for awhile. Please don't jump from guy to guy to guy, there is nothing cute about emotional baggage. Especially coupled with promiscuity and/or herpes.

*Don't underestimate the power an interesting woman posesses. Use your single time as as a time to develop varied interests, educate yourself, reconnect with friends, or anything else you can do to enrich YOUR life.

*While we're on the subject of using single time to develop hobbies, also develop some dealbreakers and stick to them. Ask yourslef, "what will effectivley kill my next relationship?" That's something every woman and man must decide for themselves. I know that as a nice girl, you probably don't want to draw a hard line just in case he's so wonderful, and you're so graciously willing to overlook the fact that he [insert bad boyfriend behavior here]. I'm not such a nice girl so I say screw that. My demands are not unreasonable and they will be met. Among my dealbreakers? Unchecked addiction of any kind, disrespect for my beliefs and disrespect toward service workers. I've learned a long time ago that a man who is nice to you but rude to the waiter is NOT a nice person. Just trust me on this.

*Its OK not to say every thought that passes through your brain. A verbal filter can be your best weapon. If you must express yourself, get a journal. Pen and paper, lock and key. He might not admit it but a little mystery is attractive.