by Hall, Melody
Jodi always lived on the edge with Justin, and always questioned his feelings for her. She knows that Nathan is in love with her, and only her. He is not on the lookout for someone better, or for someone who is on the same level as he is educationally. Even though Jodi doesn't have a college education, she is extremely bright, quick witted, wise and perceptive. Qualities that Justin never saw in her.
He criticized Jodi because of the way she spoke and because she never attended college. He wanted to pay for her college education so that she could "better herself," however, Jodi believes that he only wanted her to go to college because he was concerned that she wasn't "scholarly" enough, and that it didn't look good for him to be with an "uneducated" woman.
Just to make sure that Justin was completely out of her system, Jodi relented an kissed him. The kiss soon became more intense, and Jod could sense that Justin was getting overly enthusiastic. Since she wasn't feeling the same way, she retreated. She now knew, for sure, that Justin wasn't the man for her. When she kissed Nathan, passion stirred inside her, but when she kissed Justin, she felt nothing.
Although Jodi felt guilty about kissing Justin because she knew it would hurt Nathan, she just had to know for sure if the excitement, love and passion were still there. They were for Justin, but not for Jodi. It was then and there, that she decided to say good-bye, once and for all. Jodi would never turn back, and would finally close that chapter in her life.
After a year had gone by, Jody and Nathan started planning their wedding. They were now totally committed to each other, and were living together. Jodi quit her job as a hair stylist, and was now working for Nathan. This allowed them to spend all day together, which they cherished. Some couples enjoy the time they spend away from each other while they are both at their respective jobs, but for Jodi and Nathan, working together in the same office works well for them. In addition to being soul mates, they are best friends, and can let their respective guards down when they are together.
Although Nathan is technically Jodi's boss, he never plays that card. He is also careful, however, to never show favoritism to Jodi in front of his other employees. He treats everyone with respect, and no one is treated better than anyone else. Many of Nathan's employees have been with his for years, which is a true testament to his character. Jodi is proud to be his life partner, both personally and professionally.
Jodi was getting excited for her wedding, and before the big day, members of her bridal party gave her a bachelorette party. Jodi almost forgot what it was like to have a good time with her friends, because the last time they all went out together, Jodi was in a funk over Justin.
She is grateful that her friends saw her through her ordeal, and is honored to have them be a part of her wedding day. The celebration started off at a neighborhood bar where the ladies indulged in a few tropical drinks, then it was off to Jodi's favorite restaurant. The night was exciting and fun, and Jodi couldn't remember when she had such a fun time with her friends.
The merriment came to a screeching halt in the blink of an eye, however. While the ladies were enjoying their dinner and each other's company, a familiar figure walked through the door. It was none other than Justin. He was accompanied by an older woman, who Jodi later recognized as his mother, Caroline. The two looked solemn as they were seated at their table, and barely spoke to one another while they dined.
Justin and his mother hadn't yet noticed that Jodi was at the restaurant, and Jodi wanted it to stay that way. She didn't want anything casting a pall over her special evening, but when she had to go to the bathroom, she wondered how she'd sneak past their table without her cover being blown.
After thinking about it, she realized that she didn't care if they saw her or not. She didn't owe either one of them anything and didn't even feel obligated to greet them. Jodi and her entourage made a beeline for the bathroom, but not before Justin's mother noticed them. "Isn't that Jodi?" she asked.
Justin was stunned and took this as another opportunity to try and win her back. It's fate, he thought. Yes, it was fate, but not in the way that Justin had hoped for. He stalked the bathroom door and waiting for Jodi to come out. When she did, he greeted her with a hug. Jodi tried to be personable, but again, she couldn't hide her disdain for Justin.
Jodi and Justin ended up having a brief conversation. Jodi was more than happy to tell Justin about her impending nuptials to Nathan. She then learned why Justin and his mother looked so stone-faced when they walked into the restaurant.
It turned out that Justin was the one who was now battling severe depression ever since Jodi didn't return his affections the last time they had dinner together. In fact, his depression got so bad that he had to give up his law practice and move in with his mother.
This was the first night he had been out in public in months. His relationship with Christine had long since fell apart, and he was having a hard time re-building his life. Jodi felt bad for Justin, and now wondered if his mother felt any remorse for sticking her nose in their business by setting him up with Christine.
Jodi and Nathan were married in a beautiful ceremony, and now have an adorable baby girl. Justin is still living with his mother, and has let his law license expire. He did get a job working as a handyman in the neighborhood, however, and Jodi has since shown pity on him and hired him to install a white picket fence around her and Nathan's sprawling new home. Karma at its best...
Bonus Book - Dating Strategies For Picky People
No part of this book may be distributed or reproduced in any way, shape or form, without prior written approval by the author.
The information included in this book is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. The reader of this book should always consult a professional to determine if the information in this book is appropriate for their own situation. Furthermore, if readers of the book have concerns or question regarding a particular piece of advice or suggestion, they need to consult with a profession. The information in the book is not professional advice, and should not be taken as such.
Be Your Own Matchmaker
Are you worried that you will never find your soul mate? Do you seem to find fault in every person that you go out with? Well, you are not alone. Many of your fellow daters are saying the same thing: "I'm too picky."
For all you picky daters, this dating advice book will help you navigate the dating waters so that you too will be amongst the fortunate ones to have found their soul mates. Finding your life partner is within your reach. It really is. All you need to do is be more open with people, make some connections, stop being so picky and keep an open mind and an open heart.
If you really want it, concentrate on your desire for a life partner, and then get to work. I will show you what you need to do in order to achieve your dreams of connecting with your dream man or women. People do it everyday. Why should it happen for other other people and not you? You deserve happiness and a soul mate to complete your life.
While it is true that we don't need a "special person" in our lives to make it complete, it is nice to share our lives with someone. Remember, no man is an island. We need people in our lives, whether it's our life's partner, our family or good friends.
There are various levels of pickiness in the dating world. The best piece of dating advice that I can offer is that although it might not be in your best interests to be overly picky, having a healthy modicum of pickiness is always a good thing. You want to be careful about who you date, and later, with whom you choose to become involved with.
This dating advice includes being on guard for any "weirdness" that your date may exhibit, and taking things slowly when you first start dating. You want to get to know this new person, and not muddy the waters by becoming too involved in the bedroom, if you know what I mean. While in between dating prospects, think about what happened with your last relationships, and why they came to an end.
The important take-away dating advice message is that if you
are too picky, you may never find that special someone to share your life with. If you want to quickly find your life partner in as little as 2 weeks, follow these suggestions to raise your chances dramatically.
Don't forget, if you're too picky, you will limit your opportunities of finding your mate, so if you can hold yourself back from being too judgemental and picky, the tides just might turn to your favor. Accept people for who they are, don't try to change them too much, put out a positive vibe, and see what happens! I know what you're saying! "It's not that easy to find a life partner and my soul mate." The reality of it all, is that it IS easy. You're just too picky about your potential prospects.
Just think about all the single people that you cross paths with everyday. Granted, some of them aren't suited to your wants and needs, but some of them probably are. If you look beyond physical appearances, their career choices, educational background and age, you'll substantially widen your dating spectrum and increase the size of your dating pool.
With more people to choose from in your dating pool, you have a better chance of finding your life partner. For the next two weeks, make it your full-time job to find a mate. Yes, it's that easy. You will be amazed at the people you'll meet.
Think of it as a dating exercise. By getting more dating practice, you are inviting more opportunities into your life. This means a greater chance of finding your partner. Don't think it's possible? Then read this: After my friend and her husband got divorced, she couldn't bring herself to get back out into the dating scene. With much encouragement from her family and friends, she decided to give it a whirl.
She wasn't looking for a "good time," but she was looking to settle down again with a nice guy. She visited a dating coach who asked her to make 2 connections a day with total strangers. Now mind you, the connections only had to consist of a smile or a simple "hello." At first my friend was resistant to the dating coach's suggestion, but she tried it anyway. While at work, she smiled at a guy in the elevator, and when she stopped at the grocery store after work, she said hello to someone in the produce department.
As it turned out, the guy in the elevator had just recently broken up with his girlfriend, and the guy from the grocery store was looking for a date to bring to his class reunion. This is a true story, and it happens every day. As you become more open with people, you will generally attract them to you. By attracting them to you, you raise your chances of getting a date with them, and then.... You're on your way to finding that life partner!
If you sit in your house all day and not make those connections, you won't find anybody. My aunt used to say, "Honey, the man of your dreams isn't going to come to your house and ring your doorbell, you have to go out and look for him!" Even if you don't make a love connection with the people you meet during the next two weeks, you might make some good friends during your dating exercises, who may know someone to set you up with.
People who are extremely picky may simply be afraid of getting close to someone because they are wary of getting hurt. If you are extremely picky, ask yourself if you are afraid of other people seeing you for who you really are.
Those who are very picky may use their "pickiness" as a defense mechanism so their dates will not see through to their weaknesses. This is a method of protecting yourself, albeit an unconscious method.
After you have acknowledged that you might have a pickiness issue, there are steps you can take so that you do not sabotage a promising relationship. Remember, it is good to be somewhat picky in the people you date, so don't feel that it is necessarily a bad thing.
Since your picky dating nature may stem from your fear of a long-term relationship, think of the reasons you are apprehensive of getting into a long-term relationship, and why you may be more fearful of a relationship than most people. Could it be that your pickiness is related to conflict or fighting in your family when you were growing up? Perhaps you were made fun of, or bullied in school, causing you to become insecure, or maybe a previous relationship caused you a broken heart in the past.
After you have acknowledged the reasons for your pickiness, let your friends and family know about them, and ask them to mention it when you start finding fault with one of your prospective dates. Friends and loved ones want to support you, and it is very important to exhibit your vulnerability with those you trust the most.
A very important piece of dating advice is to not decide whether or not you like a person until you have had at least a few dates with them. By giving your new dates a chance, you just mind find that you judge them less as you get to know them more. You may even find that dating is becoming more enjoyable as well!
If you are too picky, you will miss out on the benefits that a long-term relationship can provide. This is not to say that you need a long-term relationship in order to be happy. Long-term relationships are not the "be all, end all" for many people, however, if a long-term relationship is what you desire, then being too picky may have negative consequences on your goals.
You are entitled to find a relationship or a mate that suits you. If you have not found that special person yet, keep looking until he or she comes along. Don't give up or get discouraged. If you're not sure if you are the picky type, think about the following statements. If you agree with them, you just might be a little too picky.
1. Everyone you date has an irritating laugh or voice.
2. You have broken up with someone over things that they have done when they were sleeping or just sitting there quietly.
3. You can't stand the way your date eats. If the noises your date makes when he or she is eating sends you into a tailspin, you might be too picky.
4. You decline more dates than you have actually been on.
5. You don't like your date's name.
6. You have already decided you won't go on a second date with this person even before you've gone on the first date.
7. You don't like his or her career choice.
8. The way he or she says the word "milk" makes you physically ill.
9. You can't remember your date's name, yet you remembered the amount of times he or she visited the bathroom.
10. You feel that all the good prospects are already taken.
11. When you first meet your date, do you start by thinking that they have a beautiful smile, or that their ears are enormous?
If you haven't had a substantial relationship for quite a while, it is only natural that you would wonder why. You may have even wondered if the person of your dreams is even alive. You may also question your standards and expectations.
There are so many amazing single people out there, and as my mother used to say, "there's a cover for every pot!" People who complain about a lack of quality people to date often have their expectations set unreasonably high. Although you should never settle for a person that you aren't attracted to, or that you do not particularly like, re-evaluating your expectations may help broaden your scope of interesting and available people to date.
Another sage piece of dating advice for the picky person is to not go into a date with preconceived expectations. Do not expect your date to be "the one." Simply hope to have a good time with the person, and if it works out, it works out. If not, don't fret.
There will be others. A good exercise to practice is try going out with someone who you do not consider your type, and commit to having a good time. You may be surprised that you had such a pleasant experience. If not, you got yourself some additional dating practice.
If you do not like the type of person that you are attracting, try changing your own self-image. We generally gravitate to people who are similar to ourselves, so if you do not want to attract a certain type of person, change your image to reflect the complete opposite of the types you typically attract.
People do, and should have a list of non-negotiable factors that come into play when searching for a life partner. This is not being picky, it's simply knowing what you want and what you are most comfortable with. Although non-negotiable variables should be
considered, try not to include physical characteristics to your list. Being too picky in the "looks" department is a recipe for loneliness.
Sure, it's nice to be physically attracted to your date, however, there are other facets to attraction than physical attraction. You might be attracted to your date's wit, charm, manners, humor or compassion. Similarly, you may be attracted to the way your date talks to people, how he or she treats strangers, if he or she likes animals or how he or she views life. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and it is not always physical beauty or attraction.
I once dated a man who was so good-looking, that women would literally stare at him when he walked past. Although he was nice, he was rather "full of himself." I was able to look past that, but what I couldn't look past was his misuse of a certain phrase. Now I know what you're thinking, and it's probably true. I was being too picky.
Here's what happened, so you can decide for yourself if I was being overly picky. Instead of saying "by the way," he would say "by any chance." For example, we were walking in a park one day, and he wanted to show me where he plays softball. Instead of saying, "by the way, there's where I play softball," he said, "by any chance, there's where I play softball."
I though this was a one time fluke, so I overlooked it. Soon after, while driving past the hospital where he was born, he said "by any chance, I was born there." I'm not sure why he got the phrases "by the way" and "by any chance" mixed up, but it happened so often, I could not longer stand it. I decided to end the relationship, and looking back, there were other things about him that I didn't like, so it was just as well.
I did feel a tinge of remorse when I learned that he married one of my high school classmates, who was actually one of the most popular girls in my class. If I could do it all over again, would I have stayed with him? Maybe. My mother often asks: "I wonder what happened to "By Any Chance," referring to my old flame, and after I told her that he went on to marry one of the most popular girls in my high school, she replied, "See, it didn't matter to her that he got his phrases mixed up!"
