The dating world has left many men utterly disillusioned. Despite the fact that they seem to be doing everything right -- they have a good job, drive a nice car, and look their very best -- they continue to strike out with woman after woman. They perceive landing dates as being much more arduous for them than it is for the women they're after, who seem to reject potential suitors at will.  But is dating really an uphill climb for all men and a breezy walk in the park for all the ladies? I feel this view is a tad simplistic. If approaching this subject in the context of traditional gender roles -- where the man is the pursuer and is thereby forced to risk rejection -- it may seem like women are always in the driver's seat. After all, women get far more hits on dating apps/sites like Tinder, right? But this presupposes that women enjoy all the attention they're getting, and that just isn't the case. For one, women don't find all the men reach...

The word of the day is sanguine . According to the dictionary, to be sanguine is to be optimistic, confident, or positive, especially in a bad or difficult situation. Other similar words include buoyant, enthusiastic, upbeat, and cheerful. I don't see sanguine being used that often. I first came across the word in a book I read recently. For whatever reason, it initially sounded to me like a word that could mean "sad" or "melancholy." Thus, to be sanguine is to look on the bright side -- to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. Antonyms of the word sanguine include gloomy, negative, and pessimistic. When we're in a tough spot, it certainly pays to remain sanguine. Positive thinking leads to positive outcomes. The more disposed we are toward shunning those negative thoughts that trickle into our mind, the better our chance at success. If you assume you're going to fail, you probably will. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Belie...

If there's one thing I've learned in this unpredictable labyrinth we call life, it's that we can achieve much more by complaining less . Once you let negative thoughts creep into your head -- like "I can't do it," "I don't want to do it," and "this is too hard" -- your resolve is stopped in its tracks and you become paralyzed into inaction. So how do you avoid this mental trap? You get to work -- without even thinking about it! If you start thinking about the myriad reasons why you don't want to do something, the chances of you doing it drop precipitously. In other words, we won't be inclined to take action when we're subconsciously trotting out reasons for why we shouldn't. For example, let's say you're trying to lose weight. If you find any excuse in the book not to go to the gym -- you're tired after working all day, you don't like to exercise when it's dark outside, you hate being all sw...

Do what is right for you . No one else is walking in your shoes. No one knows you -- your fears, your passions, your goals -- better than you do. Never let anyone chart your path for you, for only you know the ultimate road to fulfillment in your life. Never let anyone convince you that whatever you wish to pursue isn't right for you -- only you have the final say in that. Never let anyone dissuade you from attempting to accomplish even the loftiest of goals. If your heart and mind are in the right place, you can achieve anything. Your parents' or friends' experiences won't necessarily be your own. Just because they failed at something doesn't mean you will. Perhaps they lack your will to persevere in the face of long odds. Sometimes people secretly want you to fail; never, ever give them that satisfaction. There's no greater feeling in the world than proving someone who said you couldn't achieve something wrong . Only you have the right to say you ca...

If you found yourself chasing after friends or love interests last year who didn't put as much time and effort into your relationship as you, don't let this habit carry over into the new year. End it now! There's no reason why you should pine for someone's attention or company when your own should be sufficient. Sure, we all like to be in a relationship and have at least a couple of friends we can call and meet up when we're bored or lonely. But here's a key piece of information I'd like you to embed firmly in your mind: Friends and partners enhance our lives, not complete them.  You should never feel that your life is incomplete without friends, a partner, children, and so on. After all, we came into this world alone, and will be leaving it in similar fashion. Studies find that the more people enjoy their own company, the happier they are with their lives and the higher their self-esteem and self-worth. I'm not suggesting that you shouldn...

All of us have gripes with certain things about our present lives, whether it's being stuck in a dead-end job, not having enough friends, being overweight, or just feeling like we're in a monotonous rut. This has some of us feeling rather depressed or even wallowing in self-pity. The secret to life is not what happens to you, but how you react to and deal with such circumstances. I'll give you an example: While I blog and freelance on the side, my day job is as a copywriter in the travel industry. While I enjoy working in the travel business, I sometimes feel as though I'm doing nothing truly meaningful in the private sector; it's all about the bottom line and helping the big-wigs get richer. I found my college days to be the best time of my life, largely because I loved learning, studying, and challenging myself to get A's and graduate with a high G.P.A. (I take pride in the fact that I graduated summa cum laude with a 3.91 G.P.A.). Thus, I yearn to eventua...