Getting What You Want

Soldiers, we all have been there... you want something but are afraid to go after it or ask for it for fear of rejection or being judged. In the case of a lot of women: sometimes there is an expectation for people to read your mind and just know. Sadly, the world is not clairvoyant so chances are people won't really be able to read your mind and in the end you will end up feeling not only unsatisfied with them but also ultimately with yourself as well.

Communication is key. We were equipped with mouths for the purpose of expressing what it is we want. Not just eating and stifling out feelings by turning to food for comfort, which again, a lot of women do! A lot of the e-mails I have been receiving have been asking how people can let someone else know what they want. Regardless of what the subject is, the only way to let the person know is to tell them.

One Soldier wrote in on feeling neglected in the bedroom department. The only way your partner will recognize this is if you tell them. Now, this doesn't mean saying: "You have been neglecting my needs." The way you phrase things is key in making sure your partner doesn't feel they are being attacked. Phrasing it like this: "I really love it when you....[insert what you want them to do here]." This is not attacking or making them feel bad but instead encouraging them to make you happy and in turn make them feel good about themselves because they make you feel good.

But they won't know it unless you hint it. It isn't manipulating, it's getting what you want and what you deserve. If you feel your partner isn't communicating well enough with you speak up and get through to them, chances are they are not even aware that they are slacking or not delivering.

Don't just "want," get it too!

To make a long article short, when in a healthy relationship we strive to make our partner happy. It makes us feel good about ourselves in the end too. And the only way you will get what you want is to express it, so be open with yourself and your partner and you will find yourself and your relationship more satisfied!

-J.D.

Romancing verus Physicality

Relationships are insanely tricky. There is a delicate balance in today's world of dating and though many things have changed, a lot still remains the same. Since the sexes are more accepted in today's world as "equals" there is a lot of work that is split down the middle in the dating world too. It isn't just left up to the guy to make the moves anymore. Women can also make the first move too!

Find your balance.

However, in order to make anything work there has to be a shared give and take between a guy and girl. This means you have to meet half way and cannot be in something that seems one-sided. This includes but is not limited to: being the person initiating the dates, being the one who always has to call or text message, etc. Chances are if you are constantly having to make more of the effort and letting your partner get away with it, things aren't going to change. I recommend pulling back a little and observing. It helps because it gives you a chance to evaluate your partner and see if they are worthy of your time; and yes, Solider, your time is valuable. If they don't put in as much of an effort once you have "backed off" then this gives you the opportunity to reevaluate the relationship and see if you want it to continue.

Take a closer look as an outside observer would see it.

What makes it romancing is having someone show they are into you by making the effort and putting in the time. That's what gives a relationship the honeymoon phase, and true with time there isn't as much "romancing"... but if you don't get it in the beginning when will you? More often then not, we soldiers can confuse being "romanced" with the excitement of being in something new especially with sex. (Yes, sex always complicates things, which is why Patti Stanger of Millionaire Matchmaker warns it is best to wait a while and get to know your partner and their personality before introducing sex into the equation). Sex adds an intimacy, which can get confused as being romanced when it is in fact only a part of it. Romanced is also being wooed: taken out, brought flowers, holding hands, cuddling, and all the good stuff that goes with the newness of getting to know someone you are really into.

So make sure that you can recognize the difference and know that a good, successful relationship has both the romancing and the physicality. And realize, Soldiers, that you deserve a relationship that has both of these. Allow yourself to be wooed and show your partner what they mean to you... by returning the favor. Find your balance of give and take and discover the bliss of pure relationship stability, it really does exist!

-J.D.

Fear of Love

I know I fell off the radar recently, soldiers... but life throws you lots of curve balls and lately mine has been filled with them (I'll get to that in one of my coming articles), but as for right now I have been reading through your e-mails and though I am a little backed up I want to attempt to answer as many of them as I can in the coming weeks. So please, bare with me! I had a fellow Doe girl write me who says she is dating a guy who has a fear of expressing his emotions and she doesn't know how to deal with that. So after doing a little bit of my own investigating I have decided to have my first blog back be about people who fear love and emotion. I can only hope you haven't lost faith in me, or in our shared mission.
-J.D.

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The sticky situation: searching
for your better half.

Love is something everybody searches for in this world. A person who they can depend on, and truly be themselves around. A person who inspires them to be better in any capacity whether it is to be stronger, smarter, sweeter, or more selfless, (which, lets face it, is very hard to find in LA LA Land). Girls tend to be much more in tune with their emotions... it goes hand in hand with being a woman unless you have trained yourself to be more romantically cautious and not wear your heart on your sleeve. Yet, for a lot of men, it is difficult to appear vulnerable, which is why they often keep their emotions in check and don't give away too much. Leaving many of us girls to wonder: how does he feel in all of this?

Is this what you're attempting to break through?

More often than not, men attempt to keep their own emotions in check because they see being in touch with their emotions as "weakness" and more often than not, openly expressing your feelings gives the person you "love" a transfer of power... the ability to recognize that power, and have the potential of  hurt you. No one likes the idea of ending up heartbroken, so because of this, they "keep" their power by not divulging too much information and not communicating openly about their feelings. This doesn't mean they are not feeling anything... contrary to popular belief, they "feel"too!

So when does a guy actually start opening up and telling you how he feels about you? Well, honestly it depends on the guy. But more often than not it is when they start to see you are making a difference in their life (for the better), that they can open up to you without fear of being judged, and lastly when they feel comfortable... and can just be themselves. Being able to open up to someone and show them all of you is tricky, but so rewarding when you find someone you can just connect to.

The right person will always light you up.

Love comes to us in all different ways. The best thing I could tell you, soldiers, is this: Be true to yourselves and don't be afraid of your own emotions, even if they scare you. I say this because recognizing your own feelings will allow you to help your partner discover theirs. Half of the battle is just the journey: so be open to the experiences that go along with the journey and you will find yourself happier while not only discovering your partner, but also discovering other parts of your inner self.

Jane Doe over and out.