Posts

Three Dating Dilemmas from Women in Midlife and Beyond

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I’m answering your dating dilemmas : how to meet men IRL, how to end the comparison trap, and what to do when you have different future goals. Here are three questions I received recently, along with the highlights of my answers. You can find the full answers on YouTube below. Dating Dilemma #1: “Are the best matches not on dating sites?” Karen, 65, keeps meeting men who are “nice enough” on the apps, but the connection isn’t there. Wonderful matches can come from many places, and dating apps are one avenue for meeting men you would never run into from your couch. Some of those nice-enough men may grow on you if you give them a second or third date, since first dates are often a poor window into who someone really is. I encouraged Karen to widen her circle. Friends who know her well can become great matchmakers once they hear what she is looking for. Classes, volunteering, travel groups, and events for singles over 50 put her in the company of people who s...

The Surprising Skills That Will Transform Your Dating Life After 50

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You can improve your dating life after 50 with the same skills that help leaders succeed in business. Learn more here. — If dating after 50 feels unfamiliar, uncertain, or even a little intimidating, you are not alone, and there is a surprising reason why. My guest, Paula Caligiuri, has spent more than 30 years studying how people navigate unfamiliar, high-stakes situations at the highest levels of business and leadership. When she started dating again at 52, she realized the same psychological skills that help executives lead through ambiguity are exactly what women need to date with confidence in midlife. In this episode, Paula and I talk about why dating after 50 can feel so disorienting, how avoidance and self-protection can hold us back, and what it really takes to move through uncertainty with curiosity instead of fear. If you have ever felt like the old dating rules do not apply anymore, this conversation will give you a whole new way to think about what it...

Do You Want a Relationship or a Partnership? How to Tell the Difference

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Learn the difference between relationship and partnership, what makes love last, and how to build true partnership especially when dating after 50. You finally meet someone great, the connection feels strong, and he checks the important items on your must-have list. This is a beautiful beginning to a relationship. Lasting love grows when it has a solid foundation. That foundation is partnership. Couples who come together on feelings and chemistry often find that when the feelings shift, nothing else is there to hold them steady. Partnership gives love something sturdy to stand on, and it deepens the love that’s already there. Here are five differences that show how partnership takes a relationship to the next level. 5 Key Differences Between a Relationship and a Partnership 1. The “We” Takes Center Stage In a relationship, each person’s individual point of view matters, and a few disagreements can sometimes lead to the end.  In a partn...

How to Regain Confidence After a Toxic Relationship or Divorce

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How do you regain confidence after leaving a toxic relationship or getting divorced? Tune in to this episode to find out. — Anne Paphitis helps people rebuild their lives with resilience, purpose, and confidence after major life transitions. A former Cambridge school founder, she has guided young people through anxiety and self-doubt and has reinvented her own life across continents and careers. Today, she shares practical insights on midlife reinvention, emotional wellbeing, and creating meaningful second chapters. In this episode: Why so many women lose trust in their own instincts after a toxic relationship or divorce The first signs that someone is beginning to rebuild confidence in themselves How to distinguish between healthy caution and fear Practical steps for setting stronger boundaries before entering a new relationship EP 733: Anne Paphitis – Regaining Confidence After a Toxic Relationship or Divorce Highlights of t...

Dating Advice: What Men Do That Turn Women Off

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What are the top five things men do on dating apps that turn women off? These are mistakes that can be fixed so easily. Men on dating apps often turn women off through small mistakes they don’t even realize they’re making. They’re simply doing what feels natural, and a few small shifts can change how a woman experiences them, and whether they succeed at finding a good match. I’m sharing five of the most common mistakes men make on dating apps that turn women off. 5 Ways Men on Dating Apps Turn Women Off Without Realizing It 1. Opening with a one-word message A simple “Hey” or “Hi” lands in her inbox, and she has to do all the work of figuring out how to respond. Women over 40 tend to be thoughtful, busy, and discerning. A one-word opener tells her very little about who you are or why you chose her. It feels like the lowest level of effort, and she probably won’t respond. Try this instead: mention something specific from her profile. If s...

What Are Your Arguments Really Trying to Teach You?

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Every argument you’ve ever had was trying to tell you something about yourself, if you were willing to listen. Learn more on this episode of Last First Date Radio! — What are your arguments trying to teach you? My podcast guest, Dr. Sue Morter, is a New York Times bestselling author, Bio-Energetic Medicine pioneer, and founder of the Morter Institute for Bioenergetics. With over 40 years of experience bridging quantum science, energy medicine, and ancient wisdom, she has helped thousands worldwide unlock the body’s innate healing intelligence. She is adjunct faculty at Michigan State University Medical School and host of The Art of Awakening podcast. In this episode: How conflict is the key to personal transformation Why we keep having the same types of arguments What happens in the body during conflict How doing inner work helps you fight fair EP 732: Dr. Sue Morter – What Your Arguments Are Really Trying to Teach You ...

How to Spot AI on the Dating Apps

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How do you know if it’s AI on the dating apps or a real person? Here are five things to look out for when dating online and what to do about it. Picture a man whose messages are so lovely you read them twice. He asks about your garden, your love of travel, and how much he admires your courage for putting yourself out there. Then you talk on the phone, and the warmth you felt on the page is nowhere to be found. There is a good chance a helpful assistant was sitting in that conversation. AI tools now draft opening lines, reply to messages, and polish entire profiles. Some men use them as a gentle nudge when the right words feel hard to find. Others hand over the whole conversation. Either way, you deserve to know who you are really getting to know, and a few signs can help you see it. How to Spot AI on the Dating Apps (and What to Do About It) 1. His messages arrive polished and fast Real texting comes with typos, missing punctuation, and c...