As a matchmaker people often corner me at parties to tell me about their relationships. Often people want to tell me about relationship that doesn’t seem to be going in a good direction.

DATING CAN BE CONFUSING

We aren’t meant to spend years as “daters” and as a result with little practice, many of us wonder if we are any good at dating. Maybe the things that are bothering us about our relationship are normal?

You’re making yourself emotionally unavailable to meet someone else. Finding someone can only occur when you’re hungry for companionship. When I say this I don’t mean desperate for love. I mean loneliness breeds opportunity. As an example, have you ever been on a trip by yourself? I’m willing to bet you met more friends on that trip than you ever made when you were part of a couple (and yes even part of a “platonic” couple).

Being successful in love can be approached similarly to being successful in other areas of your life. Whether you’re in an existing relationship or looking for a partner, your attitude will help guide the outcome of the situation. When using a matchmaking service, remember to trust the process above all. Make sure to keep the following things in mind to develop the right attitude for love success:

There are tales of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad first dates all over the internet. We’ve all heard horror stories about the unrelenting texter, the mama’s boy, breaking into tears over an ex, being seethingly rude to the waitstaff, or faking a heart attack to escape a lame date. Maybe you’ve even experienced some awful first dates yourself. When you work with a professional matchmaking service like Misty River Introductions, get used to a different kind of date. Here are four surefire signs of first date success: