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You might approach dating with one end in mind -- marriage (or long-term companionship). However, the insights and learnings that dating uncovers can help better pave your path toward successful marriage or long-term companionship. Instead of narrowly measuring the potential of a relationship by thinking, “Would I marry this person?” ask yourself, “How can I benefit or grow from this experience?”

Here are two important alternative dating goals that might have you rethinking a second date and how you could approach the dating process moving forward.

Learning more about yourself

Understanding the kind of relationship in which you’ll thrive has as much to do with learning about yourself, your ...

Repetition is a powerful teacher. Adding consistency and ritual to your daily life can serve you in many ways including improving productivity, increasing happiness, and boosting mood. Most notably, morning routines have been linked to greater professional success and getting more done overall.

Here are some daily rituals to consider – whether they help you through a difficult time or advance your life to the next level.

Meditation

This practice has been embraced by some of the most successful leaders of our time, including CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, and even Oprah Winfrey. The goal of mediation is to clear your mind, so morning is a great ...

If you are reading this article, you have probably experienced an emotionally disconnected partner who is unable to articulate feelings on a deeper level. This might feel like a lack of comprehensive connection, that something is missing, or that there is an intentional distance kept between you and your partner.

This dynamic can be both painful to manage in a relationship and difficult to spot. Sometimes it feels like emotional unavailability is just a natural part of withholding feelings as trust is developed in the relationship. Most partners who experience their partners like this feel confused, doubt themselves and their feelings, and are trying to understand what is happening. ...

Do you feel overcommitted, spread thin, and run down? We often see clients who experience these emotions on a daily basis. While consistent self-care rituals are important to overcoming the pressure you might feel from having a packed schedule and long to-do list, the impact of “saying no” in your life is an important part of managing this overwhelmed feeling long-term. The art of “saying no” can contribute to your life in these positive ways:

Reclaiming Time

Time is a fixed variable in life. Therefore, the number of things you commit to has to change for you to reclaim time and balance. This begins with healthy ...

Perhaps watching the nightly news is a long-standing family ritual, or you start your day by skimming the local and national headlines. If so, you have probably noticed that in the last several years, the weight of those headlines has led to feelings of paranoia, anxiety, and even depression. Especially with gun violence on the rise and regular acts of terrorism, the news is more frightening and shocking than ever.

In my work as a therapist, clients often share that they feel overwhelmed and unable to process the state of these news stories. They often cite feeling helpless and powerless over the future and unable to comprehend ...

In part one of this post, we discussed signs that you may be desperate for love and therefore, compromising what you look for in a partner. Here, in part two, we’ll examine strategies for overcoming this feeling of desperation and how to approach dating and relationships from a grounded, intentional, and healthy mindset.

Instead of grasping for relationships that might not be healthy or the best fit, implement these strategies instead to help you step back and evaluate your needs and desires before stepping into a relationship.

Understand the Root Cause

Relationships might feel essential in your life for a variety of reasons and getting to the root ...

A painful past has a gravity all its own, and it can pull us down if we’re not careful. It sometimes seems old memories and old patterns assert themselves in the present. This is especially true in romantic relationships. Often a painful past gives us a lens to view that world that is distrustful of others, scared of vulnerability, and highly prioritizes control in relationships. ...