A few weeks ago, I went to a fireside at our midsingles branch. Our Branch Presidency each spoke about how they met and married their spouses. I was surprised to learn that our President and his wife had both been married before. He talked about how scared he was to date, how after his divorce he had decided he would simply avoid relationships and finish raising his kids alone. And then he met his wife, and they got to know each other. They connected and he faced his fears and they are together and happy. He told us to be happy and to enjoy this part of our lives.
I had just ended things with another great man, and was feeling somewhat tired and frustrated with the whole dating scene. When President Norton said we should enjoy this single phase of our lives, it hit me. I needed to do something different. I need a new dating paradigm. Dating has been a big part of my life for more than a decade. So, I should enjoy it. It should be fun. As I left that night's activity, feeling anxious about the ups and downs of another evening of socializing with singles, I felt like I needed to read the book 31 Dates in 31 Days. In it Tamara describes her experiences with creating and living her own dating project. As I finished reading about all of the things she learned and the ways she grew, I realized I needed to do this too. So, I emailed Tamara, the author, and asked for her Dating Boot Camp Starter Kit. It's strange, but all of this has felt totally inspired. Perhaps because it coincided with a renewed commitment to spend time studying my scriptures and praying, or simply because it is right for me at this time.
So, I am off! 20 First Dates in the month of May. Already, I have had such positive experiences- friends and family have been amazingly supportive. Guys I've asked have been enthusiastic and encouraging. Even those who have turned it down because they are dating someone already, have been really positive about the idea. And I haven't been on the first date yet. I am looking forward to this new adventure. I will be blogging about each date at 20firstdates.blogspot.com. I welcome your thoughts and comments.
I had just ended things with another great man, and was feeling somewhat tired and frustrated with the whole dating scene. When President Norton said we should enjoy this single phase of our lives, it hit me. I needed to do something different. I need a new dating paradigm. Dating has been a big part of my life for more than a decade. So, I should enjoy it. It should be fun. As I left that night's activity, feeling anxious about the ups and downs of another evening of socializing with singles, I felt like I needed to read the book 31 Dates in 31 Days. In it Tamara describes her experiences with creating and living her own dating project. As I finished reading about all of the things she learned and the ways she grew, I realized I needed to do this too. So, I emailed Tamara, the author, and asked for her Dating Boot Camp Starter Kit. It's strange, but all of this has felt totally inspired. Perhaps because it coincided with a renewed commitment to spend time studying my scriptures and praying, or simply because it is right for me at this time.
So, I am off! 20 First Dates in the month of May. Already, I have had such positive experiences- friends and family have been amazingly supportive. Guys I've asked have been enthusiastic and encouraging. Even those who have turned it down because they are dating someone already, have been really positive about the idea. And I haven't been on the first date yet. I am looking forward to this new adventure. I will be blogging about each date at 20firstdates.blogspot.com. I welcome your thoughts and comments.
