A Single’s Guide to the Newspaper
How to Find Your Ideal Mate in Print

It’s another quiet Wednesday night. Curled up in your favorite chair flipping through the paper, it’s a choice between watching Wings and popping “Sleepless in Seattle” into the VCR for the umpteenth time. The weekend looms like a black abyss of loneliness. If the phone rings, it will be Mom asking about your currently non-existent love life. Now, don’t despair. Keep on reading and we’ll find something fun to do. Something that might even help you find your ideal mate right here in the newspaper. At the very least, you’ll have the opportunity to enrich your life in some way that is meaningful to you. The better you feel about yourself the more attractive you will be. 

“ALONE” IS EASY TO FIX:

Catherine Martin of The Positive Way, a seminar company specializing in

 relationships says “Right now you may think ‘Nobody loves me.’ but the reality probably is closer to ‘Nobody knows me.’ There is a big difference. ‘Alone’ is easy to fix by being with people and sharing in their activities and lives in a positive way. Yes, even though good relationships can be hard to find. Think positively. There is hope.” This article is a road map to help you find your way to the happiness and relationships that you deserve. There are a lot of wonderful single people in this area and at least one may share your dream.  Recommended Internet Dating Sites

The Positive Way has identified the following basics to finding and attracting your ideal mate (or even just a good friend).

• First, it is very important for you to have a positive attitude; especially about yourself.

• Second, it is also important that you understand what is important to you in life and relationships.

• Third, once you have done this, you must be with people who share your interests and values.

Attend events where they are. Keep reading and with some positive thinking and investigating, including this newspaper as a great resource, you can discover where to go and what to do. Keep an open mind and you will have the results you desire.

HOW TO READ THE PAPER:

Let’s explore for some new and enriching experiences on a journey of discovery to a new relationship. Get comfortable with the paper and look through it page by page with a magic marker or a pen in hand. Look at everything; especially things that you usually ignore. Be open to something new. Mark anything of the slightest interest in any section. It’s a good idea to include the bigger Friday, Saturday, and Sunday editions. Once you have the papers marked up from ads to news, go back through them again. You may find old or new themes showing up such as an interest in a particular social issue in the news or those jazz events that you just haven’t gotten around to in a long time. The length of the list isn’t important. The key is that you have a list of specific things that matter to you. Now, take some action with that list.

FIND PEOPLE AND EVENTS THAT MATCH YOUR INTEREST :

Yes, that white sale at the Mall sure looks like fun but let’s be practical. The odds of meeting the perfect date there are a bit low. Be sure the type of people you want to meet are going to be there. Be open and creative. If you are a single parent, for example, consider going to organized events for your children. The children may enjoy it and there will probably be parents like you there as well. This could be a great opportunity to make new friends and to network. Let’s now go through the paper again section by section with an idea for finding places where people are going to be that you might want to meet.

ENTERTAINMENT SECTION: Most metropolitan newspapers have a weekly entertainment section that offers a glimpse at the richness of the gold mine of social and cultural activities in the area. Read through it item by item. Mark all of those things that are of interest. There must be at least one item that you might find interesting. We bet there are more. Look at them again to find those that most closely match your interests, principles, and practical constraints such as when you can go out, how far you can travel, and how much you want to spend. Pick at least one thing to do this weekend or sooner. It is important to take action whether it’s a rock concert or a free book signing. The key is to do it with a positive attitude and to enjoy the experience.

A positive aspect of using publicized events to meet people is that they offer a degree of comfort and safety to you. You can decide before hand what events you will go to, where, and when. You may choose events where there is physical safety in numbers. Know also that you have full freedom of choice at all times with whom to talk and when to leave. Club and organization meetings or volunteer activities offer an even greater level of comfort because you can often find someone in the organization to introduce you.

There is a lot more to discover in the daily sections of the newspaper. Let’s look.

LIFESYLES or LIFE AND ARTS: These human interest features and columns are rich with local and national people. You may find someone who has done something that you can relate to. It may be inspirational or just find something fun for you to do. An article on people helping people, for example, might kindle an interest in volunteer work. Contact the people who are active in the things that interest you and they may be able to help you explore the opportunity further.

FRONT PAGE: Use a “headline” instead of a “line” when you need an icebreaker to start a conversation. This will present a more positive image of yourself. The headlines are a reader-friendly way to quickly spot anything of interest. Look for interesting news that might give you ideas for activities. In any case, if you read the news, you will have current topics to discuss in conversation when you meet people.

SECTION 1: Stay current and sharpen your global and local interests. You might even find a local activity that you can tie in to. This might, for example, be a sporting, political, or human interests event or activity. Look at who is doing what, when, and where. Pick up the phone and find out the details so that you can be there also.

Even the “Religion News” is an opportunity. Check it out. There are many church related activities going on at all times. If you don’t find what you want here, use the phone numbers for the churches that are listed here and in the Yellow Pages. You can probably find a service, special event, or even a church related single’s organization meeting that you can attend. These can be opportunities for you to meet people who share some of your fundamental values. In any case, you may feel better using the opportunity to create or deepen your spiritual connection. The better you feel about your spiritual self, the more confident and attractive you will be.

There are dozens of organizations that are seeking volunteers. You can help your self and others by volunteering even a little bit of your spare time. You may find opportunities anywhere in the paper but the news and lifestyles sections are the best places. If you don’t find exactly what suits you, call churches or social organizations. A good place to start is the United Way. Give them a call.

SPORTS: Sports are a dynamic social element here in many areas either with professional or amateur teams and events. Take the opportunity to become involved in sports as an active spectator or participant. Look through the sports section and you will see everything from bowling to tennis. There is a lot to do and much of it is cheap or free. You can go to league or school sporting events as a spectator. Support your old high school by going to their events. Go to your children’s events. You may even find an amateur team that fits your level of skill and interest that you would want to join.  

COMICS: Hey, lighten up! Take a break. Laugh. It feels good. Oh, and yes some of these characters seem to know just how we feel on Wednesdays.

BUSINESS: Take a look. Are you in a rut at work? Maybe there is something going on with a company that is hiring for jobs that might make you feel better. Maybe you went to school with one of the people written up here and it reminds you that it’s time to say hello. Network.

THE PERSONALS COLUMN: The personals column or similar services are obvious places to meet another singles like yourself in the newspaper and the service may be completely free in many newspapers for those who place the advertisements. There may be a fee for responding to an ad. We recommend that you talk to your friends to see if they have had success with the service before you spend any money.

CLASSIFIEDS: If the want ads aren’t of interest then at least look through the listings for things that you find entertaining such as a pair of good used in-line skates so you can cruise the park and the paths Saturday afternoon with the rest of the sun seekers. Who knows what you’ll find but you have to look.

ENTERTAINMENT: There is a lot going on in the area every day! Between the weekly and daily entertainment section listings and advertisements, you can find something to do. Just look. If you prefer not being alone or bored, keep reading the paper and you will discover much more to do.

Do what you like and happiness and relationships will follow

Newspapers are great resources for positive discovery. Just remember you won’t meet many people alone in your home. Get out of the house, do what you like, and happiness and relationships will follow. Soon you two may find your names in the wedding announcements. We wish you the very best.