Dating can be an amazing experience ... and not just because you might meet the love of your life!
Whether you’re just starting to get over a broken heart or you’re new to the wonderful world of dating, meeting new people can enrich your life and expand your world in so many ways. Even a first date that doesn’t lead to a second can still be a positive experience that energizes your whole day.
If you feel ready to open yourself to the idea of dating but need a little nudge of encouragement, here are 25 reasons you should absolutely give it a try!
1. Let your date activity of choice pull double duty and turn it into a sexy, sweaty workout. Go hiking or jogging together, or hit up a yoga class. Get those endorphins flowing!
2. Practice mindfulness by being present and enjoying the company of another person, even if you never spend time with him or her again. Learning to live in the moment is freeing and allows you to truly form a connection with someone.
3. Expand your horizons by trying something you’ve never done before (rock climbing, kayaking) instead of the usual dinner-and-a-movie routine.
4. Reaffirm the qualities and values that matter to you in a partner by being selective about who you go out with. Upholding your personal standards is sexy.
5. Awaken your inner wordsmith by taking the time to really think about what goes into your online dating profile. Be truthful about who you are and you’ll attract the kind of person you’re looking for.
6. Learn to deal with rejection in a new way. If there’s no follow-up after a date, think of it this way: it’s not personal. It just means that person has particular preferences. You’re allowed to have preferences too.
7. Enjoy the feeling of being emotionally available. Keep your eyes wide open and observing, happily flirting as you move through your day.
8. Savor the knowledge that you’re older and wiser than you were before if you’re coming off a broken heart. You’ve learned from past mistakes, you know to trust your instincts and you’re more attuned to red flags that signal a relationship won’t work.
9. Dating means you get to explore new areas of your own town: coffee shops you’ve never been to, movie theaters you’ve never noticed, parks you’ve been meaning to visit for ages. Think of it as a chance to be a tourist in your own town!
10. If you’re ready to invite a date over to your home, you can savor the experience of cooking a delicious meal, lighting candles and creating a beautiful, sensual environment.
11. Use it as an excuse to pamper yourself! Hair, nails, perhaps a new outfit (or lingerie?). For guys, a trip to the barber for a hot lather shave!
12. It’s an opportunity to be curious and ask intriguing questions that can teach you a lot about other people, and yourself. Really think about what information is important to you and get creative in the questions you ask.
13. Cherish those butterflies of excitement and anticipation you’ll get in the lead up to a date. Let those giddy, giggly feelings life up your entire day.
14. Add playfulness to your day by sending your date a sweet (or saucy!) text message before you get to see each other. Even just letting him or her know you’re thinking of them is a positive step.
15. Discover yourself — your preferences, desires, what you want vs. don’t want — with every single date. Extra credit if you do a little reflecting & journaling to record your observations, after the date.
16. Luxuriate in a slow, old-school courtship if you want to. You’re wise enough to know that there’s no need to rush into anything. You have the power to draw things out and be discerning.
17. Before each and every date, practice looking at yourself in the mirror and say, “There’s so much about me to love.”
18. You’ll have so many fun and enticing — sometimes even hilarious — post-date stories to share with your friends. You might even inspire your coupled-up friends to start “dating” their partners, again!
19. You get to feel the amazing electricity of holding hands with someone you like. There’s nothing like the first time you find your hand in theirs! Same goes for your first kiss.
20. Dating is an exercise in fearlessness and trust. Every time you say yes to a date, you are saying yes to possibility and to life!
21. Move through the world differently. When you start dating, you tend to shift into a more available and flirtatious frame of mind, carrying yourself a little higher. You make eye contact, you smile, you glow. It’s a truly beautiful way to engage with the world.