What’s on the menu?

I assure you this has nothing to do with food, just in case you were wondering what got into me. What I’m going to talk about is the big question “why do men cheat?”

Well it looks like I’ve got your attention now, right? 

Okay, so I’m sure you have asked yourself this question before “Why would men risk losing a perfect relationship for a night with some random girl?” “What is it that drives men to have a secret relationship which then slowly has them drift away?” 

Unfortunately like everything else in life there’s no such thing as a perfect relationship. Although it might feel like its perfect the truth is that some areas will almost always require some work or adjusting. What many people in a relationship fail to understand and accept is that as time goes by situations may change rather drastically. As responsibilities begin to pour in they find less time for intimacy.

No matter what people say, intimacy is the foundation of every healthy relationship. Unless the chemistry is there the relationship is not going to work. It might of course last for other reasons which I will not elaborate on, but it certainly wouldn’t quite be a cut out from a romance novel. The craving for physical intimacy is instinctive in both men and women, however many couples, particularly those in a long term relationship tend to challenge this instinct and most times attempt to replace it with something else, such as their career.

If that sexual thrill is no longer on the menu unfortunately ladies the outcome is fairly predictable, men will go and search for it elsewhere. It’s essential to always sustain that balance, whether it’s your career or children, time for intimacy is just as important for a healthy relationship.

Shacking up… too soon?

If you live in a fairly conservative community I’m sure you’ve often heard people state that couples should wait until they’re married to live together, but how often do you get valid reason for that? Many claim it’s not quite right, but I could vow that most of those same people don’t even really know why.

Well I’m not one of those people. I believe it’s an important step, and prior to committing any further a couple needs to be sure they can live ‘agreeably’ under the same roof.

There’s a huge difference between dating, no matter how intense it is, and actually living together. Those hours spent alone can really unwind a person and prepare them for another encounter. Perhaps what many people fail to understand is that those hours tend to decrease dramatically when you’re living with your partner. You normally also discover a few traits which were not so evident before. Some that you could like, while others you might not be too keen on.

But then what happens if you simply can’t live with certain incompatibilities? And what if you discover that once you’re already married? Oh that’s right, you live unhappily ever after…

Living together involves a lot of compromise a mature approach. It can also really determine a couple’s faith in my opinion, because whilst many things can be somehow worked out, it’s only realistic to acknowledge that there isn’t quite a solution for every problem in life.

Dial 911… it’s PMS

Let me start by saying this, most men have no clue of what PMS really is. We often hear the word and pretend to know all about it, but the there is nothing quite like it in a man’s lifetime.

So how do men deal with it? How do we handle the hormone outbursts which translate in those rather unpleasant mood swings? Well, I read that the exact causes of PMS are still not fully understood. However the symptoms are clear, tension, irritability, insomnia, anxiety, fatigue… the list goes on and on. Apparently there are over 200 symptoms in total which have been associated to PMS. Personally that tells me it’s a no win situation.

Certainly it is no walk in the park, and I assure you some men must dread that time of month possibly more than their woman. It could also be a relief if you’ve been having unprotected sex of course, but it comes with a price. With many women PMS is not about being extra sensitive, it’s more along the lines of IMPOSSIBLE. So anyway, most men have come up with an antidote or rather a defense mode. A very simple method really, you just have to respond positively when necessary.

It is like that SLEEP mode on your computer, which takes up very little power and it is not quite processing anything.

Sometimes it stops, sometimes it flows… but that is how love goes

Although the L word gets thrown around a lot in relationships, the truth is that love tends to go through somewhat of a pattern. One day it feels really intense while another day it seems to fade away. Women would rarely admit this during the relationship because they fear it might trigger off a break-up, but many times it’s rather evident. That doesn’t necessarily mean the relationship is going downhill, however if it occurs frequently then it’s probably a different story.

It is a sensitive subject and is not often the topic of discussion. In fact it is almost like a secret everyone tries to keep to themselves. Sometimes we find ourselves absorbed with personal issues, other times we might disagree on something and argue relentlessly, or else we may simply feel like we need our own space for a while. During such times it’s not easy to deal with intimacy. There’s only so much we can take in at once, and if we’re caught up in thought, be it a personal problem or a recent argument it can definitely hinder the feelings we have towards our significant other.

Perhaps it just doesn’t seem rational to most people how feelings can appear to change so drastically in such a short time. There are things in life which we just cannot always grasp, but sometimes you have to accept them the way they are and move on.

Oceans Apart

There's no question that relationships these days have somewhat evolved, but have they become easier, more interesting, or simply complicated?

People have different views on this, but when a couple is geographically separated there are few directions the relationship can go. It either builds up strength or completely collapses. Time is normally what determines the faith of any relationship. However I believe it is completely wrong for people to say that once they’re distant from their significant other things get out of control. We have control on every decision we take and every move we make. So why blame it on the ocean?

Perhaps for some it becomes a convenient excuse without really having to reveal their true motive. Distance is not always easy to deal with but certainly not impossible. If a couple is individually in doubt then more often than not it will just be a memory by sunset. Whereas a proper understanding of what each person involved is truly looking for can make it through the roughest seas.

Priorities…

Well we have all heard this word over and over, but how often do we stop and contemplate the priorities in our life? What are the fundamentals and what should be on the top of our priority list?

Many people claim to have different priorities in their life but then very few people seem to be totally satisfied if their love life is lacking. So what does that tell you, shouldn't love really be the priority?

We all go through stages in our life and it’s very often a cycle, however I feel many people, especially those involved in somewhat of a long term relationship tend to place their love life on the back burner way too often. This is predominantly a guy thing, but not exclusively.

Many times the dispute seems to be over the fact that men claim they have a responsibility to provide a living for themselves and their significant other. Although it is essential to have a decent income to live well it becomes a little pointless when the process of generating that income is shattering everything else in your life.

So what is the secret to live a good all round life? The secret is learning what’s really important to you. Discovering what really makes a difference to your everyday life and placing them on the top of your priority list. I guess it’s really a matter of striking a balance.

Woman’s best friend?

So what’s happened to simply going out and buying a new handbag and a pair shoes after a break-up? It seems nowadays women are seeking comfort in slightly larger accessories.

There’s no question that for most women a break-up can be hard to deal with. While some tend to almost immediately bounce onto some other guy, many others make use of this time to discover themselves, some take that discovery process a step further and go through an entire wardrobe transformation and often also change their ride.

It would very prejudiced to say that this is a woman’s thing though, matter of fact numerous men give extreme importance to the car they drive, and it’s certainly not because they want to ensure a comfortable ride wherever they go. The reason is that some men believe others could possibly envision the car they drive as an extension to their personality. More often than not of course this couldn’t be further from the truth. Cars these days are almost like shields for many people, used to protect the vulnerable and insecure person beneath.

People in general are competitive in their everyday life, and every man and woman likes attention, particularly from the opposite sex. What most fail to understand is that the way you work for that attention is not in the office or at a construction site, but by developing a well rounded person who’s confident and ready to confront the world.