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	<title>Conscious Dating</title>
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	<description>Find the Love of Your Life and the Life That You Love</description>
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	<itunes:summary>Find the Love of Your Life and the Life That You Love</itunes:summary>
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	<itunes:author>Conscious Dating</itunes:author>
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		<itunes:name>Conscious Dating</itunes:name>
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		<title>Podcast 3</title>
		<link>http://www.consciousdating.com/podcast-3/</link>
		<comments>http://www.consciousdating.com/podcast-3/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 10:36:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Podcast]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[      
            
      My podcast 3]]></description>
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      <p><a href="http://www.consciousdating.com/podcast/podcast3.mp3">My podcast 3</a></p>
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		<itunes:keywords>Podcast</itunes:keywords>
		<itunes:author>david@relationshipcoachinginstitute.com</itunes:author>
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		<title>Podcast 2</title>
		<link>http://www.consciousdating.com/podcast-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.consciousdating.com/podcast-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 10:34:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Podcast]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[      
            
      My podcast 2]]></description>
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		<title>Podcast 1</title>
		<link>http://www.consciousdating.com/podcast-1/</link>
		<comments>http://www.consciousdating.com/podcast-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 10:32:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Podcast]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.consciousdating.com/?p=1444</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      
            
      My podcast 1]]></description>
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      <p><a href="http://www.consciousdating.com/podcast/podcast1.mp3">My podcast 1</a></p>
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		<title>New! Free Conscious Dating App</title>
		<link>http://www.consciousdating.com/new-free-conscious-dating-app/</link>
		<comments>http://www.consciousdating.com/new-free-conscious-dating-app/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:59:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Conscious Dating]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://consciousdating.com/?p=1229</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      
            
      We&#8217;re excited to announce that we have just published our first app! MyDatingCoach, a free Conscious Dating app for singles is now live for Apple and Android devices. It&#8217;s free, with great stuff for singles such as audio and video programs, Conscious Dating tips and strategies, access to our comprehensive Conscious Dating Knowledge Bank, and... <a href="http://www.consciousdating.com/new-free-conscious-dating-app/"> [Continue Reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[      
            
      <p>We&#8217;re excited to announce that we have just published our first app!</p>
<p><em>MyDatingCoach</em>, a free Conscious Dating app for singles is now live for Apple and Android devices.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s free, with great stuff for singles such as audio and video programs, Conscious Dating tips and strategies, access to our comprehensive Conscious Dating Knowledge Bank, and much more.</p>
<p>The Apple version for iPhone and iPad is <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/conscious-dating/id494200625?mt=8">here</a></p>
<p>The Android version for any Android smart phone or tablet is <a href="https://market.android.com/details?id=com.app_datingcoach_cust.layout&amp;feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5hcHBfZGF0aW5nY29hY2hfY3VzdC5sYXlvdXQiXQ..">here</a></p>
<p>And the HTML5 version compatible with any mobile device is <a href="http://www.consciousdating.mobi/">here</a></p>
<p>Please pass this along to the singles in your life that you care about.</p>
<p>They&#8217;ll be glad you did!</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1193" title="conscious-dating-app-QR-codes" src="http://consciousdating.com/wp-content/uploads/conscious-dating-app-QR-codes.jpg" alt="" width="367" height="179" /></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s the press release from <a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/consciousdatingapp/022012/prweb9152782.htm" target="_blank">PRweb</a>-</p>
<p><strong>Singles looking for love in mobile devices now have free access to a new app to get the mission accomplished. David Steele &#8212; founder of Relationship Coaching Institute, worldwide dating authority, best-selling author of Conscious Dating, and tech-savvy entrepreneur &#8212; today debuted the Conscious Dating App for Apple and Android smart phones and tablets in service to singles worldwide, just in time for Valentine’s Day.</strong></p>
<p>San Jose, CA (PRWEB) February 01, 2012</p>
<p>Singles looking for love in mobile devices now have free access to a new app to get the mission accomplished. David Steele &#8212; founder of <a onclick="linkClick(this.href)" href="http://www.relationshipcoachinginstitute.com">Relationship Coaching Institute</a>, worldwide dating authority, best-selling author of <a onclick="linkClick(this.href)" href="http://www.consciousdating.com">Conscious Dating</a>, and tech-savvy entrepreneur &#8212; today launched the Conscious Dating App for Apple and Android smart phones and tablets in service to singles worldwide, just in time for Valentine’s Day.</p>
<p>“This new, free mobile phone application literally puts love and hope in the palms of singles worldwide,” Steele said. &#8220;This app gives users access to Conscious Dating strategies, audios, videos, webinars, teleseminars, and a portal to relationship coaching and support so they can finally find the love of their life,” he explained. Steele reports that the Conscious Dating App is the first and only mobile phone application of its kind on the market today.</p>
<p>“We are leveraging technology, human potential, and our own community of trained relationship coaches to create a movement to bring lasting love to everyone on the planet who wants it. We intend to influence a billion singles, and we are starting by reaching out to those with mobile devices in hand,” Steele said.</p>
<p>“The greatest human desire is to love and be loved. At the same time, we live in a world in which people are taking their mobile devices with them to bed, the bathroom, and the boardroom. We need to reach people where they are and give them access to the support they need to satisfy this most fundamental of human desires,” he said.</p>
<p>“The Conscious Dating App is the opposite of phone sex,” Steele quipped. “We want people to approach dating in a thoughtful way with lasting relationships being their priority.</p>
<p>Among the challenges the Conscious Dating Application invites users to address are:</p>
<ul class="releaseul">
<li>  How to find your soul mate after 50;</li>
<li>The best ways to prepare a winning online profile;</li>
<li>Effective strategies to make long-distance relationships work long term;</li>
<li>Advanced conscious dating strategies and tips to find love for a lifetime.</li>
</ul>
<p>“The impact of mobile technology is a force we can tap into to make a world of difference in the work we do at Relationship Coaching Institute. And, being first to market with a free app that provides solid information and support to help singles find lasting love is something that makes my own heart skip a beat,” Steele said.</p>
<p>Since 1997, Steele and his global network of trained and certified relationship coaches have guided hundreds of thousands of singles to find love. Today there are over 5000 graduates and 450 active relationship coaches affiliated with the Relationship Coaching Institute who are sharing tips, tools, and strategies to guide singles to find perfect partners all over the world.</p>
<p>About Relationship Coaching Institute Founder, Author, Relationship Coaching Pioneer, and Global Authority on Growing a Profitable Private Practice David Steele:</p>
<p>David Steele is making a profound impact for coaches, therapists, the media, clients and those seeking to make conscious life partner choices around the world. As a subject matter expert and author, the cornerstones that are the foundation David’s worldwide contributions include:</p>
<ul class="releaseul">
<li>Serving as chief ambassador and member support officer for 450+ members and clients of the <a onclick="linkClick(this.href)" href="http://www.relationshipcoachinginstitute.com">Relationship Coaching Institute</a>;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Guiding coaches, therapists, and those aspiring to careers in either arena as a sought-after speaker, trainer, and workshop leader on practice building, honoring three decades of thought leadership in the field and his newest book <a onclick="linkClick(this.href)" href="http://www.therapisttocoach.com">From Therapist to Coach</a>: Leveraging Your Clinical Expertise to Build a Thriving Coaching Practice &#8211; published March 2011 by John Wiley &amp; Sons Inc. ;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Offering relationship expertise and perspectives to the media, based on lessons shared in his book and related programs Conscious Dating: Finding the Love of Your Life in Today’s World ; and</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Creating the first and most comprehensive Conscious Dating app for <a onclick="linkClick(this.href)" href="http://itunes.apple.com/ng/app/conscious-dating/id494200625?mt=8">Apple</a> and <a onclick="linkClick(this.href)" href="https://market.android.com/details?id=com.app_datingcoach_cust.layout&amp;feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5hcHBfZGF0aW5nY29hY2hfY3VzdC5sYXlvdXQiXQ">Android</a> mobile phones and tablets to put the goal of finding and keeping love within reach of singles everywhere.</li>
</ul>
<p>David welcomes speaking invitations, media interviews, quantity book purchases, and other opportunities that allow him to fulfill his life mission to vastly improve the success rate of committed relationships worldwide. Reach him by email or phone: david(at)RelationshipCoachingInstitute(dot)com or 1-888-268-4074.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">###</p>
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		<title>Free recorded program- Using Conscious Dating to Find Your Soul Mate</title>
		<link>http://www.consciousdating.com/soul-mate/</link>
		<comments>http://www.consciousdating.com/soul-mate/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Oct 2011 22:24:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Conscious Dating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finding New Strategies]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://consciousdating.com/?p=961</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      
            
      Many singles yearn to find their “soul mate” but wonder- What is a soul mate? Are soul mates real? Can I really find my soul mate or am I chasing a fantasy? How do I find my soul mate? In this outstanding program David and Darlene Steele share intimately about their own soul mate experience... <a href="http://www.consciousdating.com/soul-mate/"> [Continue Reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[      
            
      <p>Many singles yearn to find their “soul mate” but wonder-</p>
<ul>
<li>What is a soul mate?</li>
<li>Are soul mates real?</li>
<li>Can I really find my soul mate or am I chasing a fantasy?</li>
<li>How do I find my soul mate?</li>
</ul>
<p>In this outstanding program David and Darlene Steele share intimately about their own soul mate experience and provide specific strategies for using Conscious Dating to find your soul mate.</p>
<p>One of the interesting tidbits from this program was their distinction between a &#8220;Life Partner&#8221; and a &#8220;Soul Mate.&#8221;</p>
<p>Participants especially liked their quote from Richard Bach-</p>
<p>“A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys,<br />
and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to<br />
open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be<br />
completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for<br />
who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each<br />
unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else<br />
goes wrong around us, with that one person we’re safe in<br />
our own paradise. Our soulmate is someone who shares our<br />
deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we’re two<br />
balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are<br />
we’ve found the right person. Our soulmate is the one<br />
who makes life come to life.”</p>
<p>For immediate access-<br />
<a href="http://attendthisevent.com/?eventid=23149695">http://AttendThisEvent.com/?eventid=23149695</a></p>
<p>REQUEST- Please join our Facebook group and post your<br />
comments and questions about this program-<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/consciousdating/">http://www.facebook.com/groups/consciousdating/</a></p>
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		<title>Be The Chooser: How to Get What You Really Want in Your Life</title>
		<link>http://www.consciousdating.com/be-the-chooser-how-to-get-what-you-really-want-in-your-life/</link>
		<comments>http://www.consciousdating.com/be-the-chooser-how-to-get-what-you-really-want-in-your-life/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:29:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Conscious Dating]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://consciousdating.com/?p=392</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      
            
      By David Steele &#8220;We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.&#8221; &#8212; Khalil Gibran Our life works and can be full of joy when we make effectivechoices. Our life can be full of sorrow if we make ineffective choices. Chooser vs. Victim As a child, choices were made for me and I... <a href="http://www.consciousdating.com/be-the-chooser-how-to-get-what-you-really-want-in-your-life/"> [Continue Reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[      
            
      <p>By David Steele</p>
<p><em>&#8220;We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.&#8221;</em> &#8212; Khalil Gibran<br />
Our life works and can be full of joy when we make effectivechoices. Our life can be full of sorrow if we make ineffective choices. Chooser vs. Victim</p>
<p>As a child, choices were made for me and I had little power over what happened to me. This is normal for children, but when we take this attitude as adults I call it being a &#8220;victim.&#8221; The opposite of being a victim is to be &#8220;The Chooser.&#8221;<br />
The concept of choice is remarkable, and that we have choices I consider to be a fact. Though in my life, I&#8217;ve forgotten this fact many times when I was impulsive or reactive. I find it challenging to take responsibility for my failures and pain as being the result of my own choices. I want to blame my boss, my ex-wife, the other driver, my parents; and for awhile I did.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve had many wake-up calls that acting out of ignorance or impulse doesn&#8217;t absolve me of responsibility for making a bad choice. When I was sixteen, a new driver, and got a ticket for making a U-turn across a double-yellow line I told the cop honestly that I didn&#8217;t know it was against the law, and felt it grossly unfair that he ticketed me anyway.<br />
I fought the ticket in traffic court and lost. My only defense was &#8220;I didn&#8217;t know! I didn&#8217;t mean to break the law!&#8221; The judge told me ignorance was not an excuse for breaking the law. That was one of my first wake-up calls that as an adult, I would be held accountable for my choices even if they were unconscious. Scary thought.</p>
<p>We live in a victim culture. It&#8217;s usually the other guy&#8217;s fault that we go to war, get into a car accident, lose our money in stocks, get a divorce. While victim-hood might make us feel better and in the right, it also makes us helpless and perpetuates our problems.</p>
<p><strong>The Law of Attraction</strong><br />
What do you want? A fulfilling life and relationship? A loving family? Success in your work? Peace in the world? I&#8217;ve learned that to get what you want you must BE THE CHOOSER.</p>
<p>Being the chooser means taking the initiative to create what you want, taking full responsibility for your outcomes, and making your choices mindful of their long-term consequences.</p>
<p>There is a law of the universe as powerful as the law of gravity that helps choosers and brings suffering on victims. It&#8217;s called the &#8220;Law of Attraction.&#8221; Just like &#8220;what goes up must come down;&#8221; &#8220;what is inside shows up on the outside,&#8221;"energy follows attention,&#8221; and &#8220;what you believe you can achieve.&#8221;</p>
<p>If you believe you don&#8217;t have a choice, you won&#8217;t.</p>
<p>If you shove responsibility for your choices and outcomes outside of yourself, the law of attraction will try to teach you to take responsibility by repeating the lesson over and over until you get it. This is the origin of crime, war, and most other sources of human suffering.</p>
<p>I want to be happy and fulfilled. I want you to be happy and fulfilled. I&#8217;ve learned that happiness comes from within, by taking responsibility as an adult for my choices and outcomes. I&#8217;ve learned that I need to be &#8220;The Chooser&#8221; in my life and my heartfelt desire is that I can inspire you to be The Chooser as well.</p>
<p><strong>Be The Chooser</strong><br />
We have the knowledge and technology to create a wonderful life for ourselves and society for our children. Most of our social problems, such as crime, war, poverty, violence, disease, divorce, homelessness, and more, is the result of ineffective choices. Unfortunately, these social problems will continue as long as people believe they don&#8217;t have a choice about them.</p>
<p>Choosers know what they want and how to get it. In charge of their lives, Choosers take responsibility for what happens. Being a Chooser takes a certain amount of confidence and effort, but anyone can be one! Being The Chooser means taking initiative for your outcomes: you are in charge of creating what you want in life. You do not restrict yourself to what or who chooses you.</p>
<p>Very often, we are not aware of the range of choices available to us. We are often unaware of our power to choose, and of the true power of our choices. We might make choices unconsciously, reactively or impulsively. We might be unaware of the long-term consequences of our choices.</p>
<p><strong>A.I.M. To Be The Chooser</strong><br />
<strong>Step 1: Be AWARE that you have choices<br />
</strong>You are never stuck! You always have choices, even if you don&#8217;t know what your choices are. Don&#8217;t allow impulse or lack of information to result in a poor choice.</p>
<p><strong>Step 2: IDENTIFY your choices<br />
</strong>Always assume there are more choices than you are aware of. Seek to identify a variety of the choices available to you, mindful that “you don&#8217;t know what you don&#8217;t know.” Identify productive choices and don&#8217;t settle for unproductive choices.</p>
<p><strong>Step 3: MAKE productive choices<br />
</strong>Use all the information available to you to make the best choice possible to achieve the outcome you desire. Evaluate a choice based upon the likely long-term consequences of that choice.</p>
<p><strong>Seven Things You Can Do Today to Be The Chooser</strong><br />
If you want to be the Chooser, here are some things you have control over and can DO (remember- CRAPGAP):</p>
<p><strong>- BE CREATIVE:</strong> Seek new ideas and opportunities beyond the immediate past and present</p>
<p><strong>- BE A RISK TAKER:</strong> Accept rejection and failure as part of life, and don&#8217;t take it personally</p>
<p><strong>- BE ASSERTIVE:</strong> Ask for what you want, and say &#8220;no&#8221; to what you don&#8217;t want</p>
<p><strong>- BE PROACTIVE:</strong> Don&#8217;t merely react to events, or habitually wait for things to happen</p>
<p><strong>- BE GOAL-ORIENTED:</strong> Clearly define and vigorously pursue your goals</p>
<p><strong>- ASSUME ABUNDANCE:</strong> Believe there will always be plenty of opportunities and resources</p>
<p><strong>- BE POSITIVE:</strong> Always anticipate success</p>
<p><em>“Your life is the sum result of all the choices you make, both consciously and unconsciously.<br />
If you can control the process of choosing, you can take control of all aspects of your life.<br />
You can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of yourself.”<br />
</em>&#8211; Senator Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah</p>
<p>©2005 by David Steele / All rights reserved / <a href="http://www.consciousdating.com/">http://www.consciousdating.com/</a></p>
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		<title>Relationship Research Findings for 2005</title>
		<link>http://www.consciousdating.com/relationship-research-findings-for-2005/</link>
		<comments>http://www.consciousdating.com/relationship-research-findings-for-2005/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:28:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Conscious Dating]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://consciousdating.com/?p=390</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      
            
      by David Steele In July 2005, the National Marriage Project of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, released their annual &#8220;State of Our Unions&#8221; report for 2005. You will find some key findings from this report below. Here is what I would like you to know: The marriage rate continues to decline The cohabitation... <a href="http://www.consciousdating.com/relationship-research-findings-for-2005/"> [Continue Reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[      
            
      <p>by David Steele</p>
<p>In July  2005, the National Marriage Project of Rutgers, the State University of  New Jersey, released their annual &#8220;State of Our Unions&#8221; report for  2005. You will find some key findings from this report below. Here is  what I would like you to know:</p>
<ul>
<li>The marriage rate continues to decline</li>
<li>The cohabitation rate continues to increase, with a higher failure rate than marriage</li>
<li>The  divorce rate continues to be around 50 percent, though has declined a  bit, most likely due to fewer marriages and more cohabitation</li>
<li>Couples are waiting longer to get married</li>
<li>Divorced people are slightly less likely to re-marry</li>
<li>Lifelong singlehood has increased a bit</li>
<li>Over 50 percent of couples now live together before getting married</li>
<li>Couples living together without plans for marriage is increasing</li>
<li>40 percent of all children will live in a cohabiting household</li>
<li>28 percent of all children live in single parent families</li>
<li>An  increasing percentage of teenagers state that they want to get married  and that having a good marriage and family is important to them</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>These trends are disturbing because the problems are getting worse, not better.</strong> For example, more and more people cohabitate, which has a higher  failure rate than marriage, and higher negative impact on children and  families. Yet, most want a successful life partnership, and think  cohabitation is a necessary first step.</p>
<p><strong>There is a widening gulf between:</strong></p>
<p>- what people want (a successful committed relationship)…</p>
<p>- what they do (cohabitate)…</p>
<p>- and the results they get (relationship failure)</p>
<p><strong>Here are some key findings on Marriage, Divorce, Cohabitation, Children, and Teen Attitudes:</strong></p>
<p><strong>ON MARRIAGE:</strong><br />
&#8220;Americans have become less likely to marry. Most people now live together before they marry for the first time.&#8221;<br />
50 percent decline, from 1970 to 2004, in the annual number of marriages per 1,000 unmarried adult women<br />
Some of this decline—it is not clear just how much—results from the delaying of first marriages until older ages<br />
Other  factors accounting for the decline are the growth of unmarried  cohabitation and a small decrease in the tendency of divorced persons to  remarry.  The decline also reflects some increase in lifelong  singlehood</p>
<p><strong>ON DIVORCE:</strong><br />
“The American divorce  rate today is nearly twice that of 1960, but has declined slightly since  hitting the highest point in our history in the early 1980s. For the  average couple marrying in recent years, the lifetime probability of  divorce or separation remains between 40 and 50 percent.”</p>
<p><strong>ON COHABITATION:</strong><br />
“The  number of unmarried couples has increased dramatically over the past  four decades, and the increase is continuing. Most younger Americans now  spend some time living together outside of marriage, and unmarried  cohabitation commonly precedes marriage. A growing percentage of  cohabiting couple households, now over 40 percent, contain children.&#8221;</p>
<p>Between  1960 and 2004 the number of unmarried couples in America increased by  nearly 1200 percent.  Over half of all first marriages are now preceded  by living together, compared to virtually none 50 years ago. &#8220;The belief  that living together before marriage is a useful way “to find out  whether you really get along,” and thus avoid a bad marriage and an  eventual divorce, is now widespread among young people.  But the  available data on the effects of cohabitation fail to confirm this  belief. In fact, a substantial body of evidence indicates that those who  live together before marriage are more likely to break up after  marriage.&#8221;<br />
<strong>ON CHILDREN:</strong><br />
&#8220;The trend toward  single-parent families is probably the most important of the recent  family trends that have affected children and adolescents. This is  because the children in such families have negative life outcomes at two  to three times the rate of children in married, two-parent families.   Children who grow up with cohabiting couples tend to have worse life  outcomes compared to those growing up with married couples. Prominent  reasons are that cohabiting couples have a much higher breakup rate than  married couples, a lower level of household income, and a higher level  of child abuse and domestic violence.”</p>
<p>- 28 percent of all children live in single-parent families, 9 percent in 1960</p>
<p>- 40 percent of all children are expected to spend some time in a cohabiting household during their growing up years</p>
<p>- For unmarried couples in the 25 to 34 age group the percentage  with children is higher still, approaching half of all such house­holds</p>
<p>- Almost one half of stepfamilies today consists of a biological parent and unrelated cohabiting partner</p>
<p><strong>ON TEEN ATTITUDES:</strong><br />
&#8220;The desire of teenagers of both sexes for “a good marriage and family life” has increased slightly over the past few decades.&#8221;</p>
<p>- 82 percent of girls and 70 percent of boys state that having a  good marriage and family life was “extremely important” to them (a  slight increase)</p>
<p>- 83 percent of girls and 78 percent of boys state that they expect to marry (a moderate increase)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Reprinted  with permission of David Popenoe and Barbara Dafoe Whitehead from /The  State of Our Unions: The Social Health of Marriage in America, 2005/  (The National Marriage Project at Rutgers University, 2005) National  Marriage Project:  <a href="http://marriage.rutgers.edu/">http://marriage.rutgers.edu</a> Link to report:  <a href="http://marriage.rutgers.edu/Publications/SOOU/SOOU2005.pdf">http://marriage.rutgers.edu/Publications/SOOU/SOOU2005.pdf</a><br />
©2005 by Relationship Coaching Institute / <a href="http://www.relationshipcoachinginstitute.com/">http://www.relationshipcoachinginstitute.com</a></p>
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		<title>What Is Commitment in Relationships?</title>
		<link>http://www.consciousdating.com/what-is-commitment-in-relationships/</link>
		<comments>http://www.consciousdating.com/what-is-commitment-in-relationships/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:26:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Conscious Dating]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://consciousdating.com/?p=388</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      
            
      by David Steele The question of when a relationship is committed is a source of much confusion and debate. We live in a time when the marriage rate is going down, the co-habitation rate is going up, and the majority of first-born children are now born to unmarried parents. In this article I hope to... <a href="http://www.consciousdating.com/what-is-commitment-in-relationships/"> [Continue Reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[      
            
      <p>by David Steele</p>
<p>The question of when a relationship is committed is a source<br />
of much confusion and debate. We live in a time when the<br />
marriage rate is going down, the co-habitation rate is going<br />
up, and the majority of first-born children are now born to<br />
unmarried parents.</p>
<p>In this article I hope to shed some light on this question<br />
to facilitate your work with couples and individuals<br />
challenged by different perceptions of the status of their<br />
relationships.</p>
<p><strong>COMMITMENT VS. PROMISE<br />
</strong><br />
I recently had a conversation with a woman who told me she<br />
had just broken off a &#8220;committed&#8221; relationship. A few<br />
questions later I learned that she had been dating this<br />
person for a year, they were not living together, and the<br />
reason she broke it off is that he &#8220;cheated.&#8221;</p>
<p>We talked about pre-committed vs. committed relationships,<br />
and she agreed that it was a pre-committed relationship, but<br />
insisted that they had made a &#8220;commitment&#8221; to each other.</p>
<p>OK, things are getting clearer. On the one hand is the<br />
status of the relationship- pre-committed vs. committed, and<br />
on the other hand are commitments made within the<br />
relationship. Macro vs. micro. Two different things, right?</p>
<p>In our conversation, it occurred to me to make a distinction<br />
between a &#8220;Commitment&#8221; vs. a &#8220;Promise.&#8221; They made a promise<br />
to each other within the context of a relationship that was<br />
not committed. That distinction seemed to help her make more<br />
sense of things.</p>
<p>When I asked the RCI coaches for feedback on the &#8220;commitment<br />
vs. promise&#8221; distinction, most felt that it was just semantics and there<br />
is not much of a difference. The general consensus was that when you make a<br />
promise you are making a commitment.</p>
<p>Well, I agree that it is a question of semantics, and here<br />
is my definition of terms:</p>
<p><strong>PROMISE:</strong> Verbally stated future intention to perform a<br />
specific act.</p>
<p>- I promise to pick up your dry cleaning and not forget this time<br />
- I promise to be exclusive in our relationship</p>
<p><strong>COMMITMENT:</strong> Both a FACT demonstrated by behavior, and an<br />
ATTITUDE consisting of thoughts and beliefs.</p>
<p>- I am committed to keeping my promises<br />
- I am committed to our relationship</p>
<p>In short, a promise is something you say, and a commitment<br />
is something you do. A promise is situation-specific. A<br />
commitment is contextual.</p>
<p>A promise is a small commitment. If a potential partner<br />
doesn&#8217;t keep promises, I would question their ability to<br />
keep commitments, as they are definitely related.</p>
<p><strong>CONFUSION ABOUT COMMITMENT</strong></p>
<p>Whether or not you agree with my semantics, the distinction<br />
I made between a commitment and a promise was helpful for<br />
the above conversation.</p>
<p>The larger picture though, is that I see a lot of confusion<br />
about the status of today&#8217;s relationships. Some years ago<br />
when I coined the term &#8220;pre-commitment&#8221; to describe couples<br />
that were exclusive but not yet committed, it was a helpful<br />
distinction, but the question remains- &#8220;What is commitment?&#8221;</p>
<p>When you are married, it is clear you are in a committed<br />
relationship. Your commitment is a legal contract and a publicly<br />
witnessed FACT. However, it is common for couples in trouble<br />
for one or both partners to have an uncommitted ATTITUDE.</p>
<p>I have talked with many unmarried people, as the woman<br />
above, who have described themselves in &#8220;committed<br />
relationships.&#8221; They clearly have the attitude, but often<br />
have nothing but verbal promises (and sometimes not even<br />
that!) to demonstrate that the relationship is committed.</p>
<p><strong>IN MY OPINION, YOU ARE -NOT- IN A COMMITTED RELATIONSHIP IF:<br />
</strong><br />
1. Your partner is not aware your relationship is committed</p>
<p>2. You are wondering if this relationship is committed</p>
<p>3. You and your partner have differences of opinion about<br />
the status of your relationship</p>
<p>4. Your family and friends have different perceptions about<br />
the status of your relationship</p>
<p>5. You and your partner have not acted to explicitly<br />
formalize your commitment in some way</p>
<p>6. You are relying on verbal promises without a significant<br />
track record of them being kept</p>
<p>A commitment is explicit and unambiguous. A commitment is a<br />
formal event of some kind between two people. A commitment<br />
is something you DO over time. A real commitment is usually<br />
legally enforceable and there are consequences for breaking it.</p>
<p>And, for a relationship to be truly committed, there are no<br />
exits- mentally, emotionally, or physically. When the going<br />
gets rough, you make it work.</p>
<p><strong>CONTINUUM OF COMMITMENT</strong></p>
<p>Commitment is not a light switch that goes from &#8220;off&#8221; to<br />
&#8220;on.&#8221; When building a relationship with someone, the level<br />
of commitment gradually increases.</p>
<p>Then you have all the shades of gray. living together,<br />
dating exclusively for more than a year, even engaged to be<br />
married, that might look and feel like commitment, but is it<br />
really?</p>
<p><strong>FACT VS. ATTITUDE<br />
</strong><br />
Commitment in a relationship is complicated in that it takes<br />
two people, and it requires an alignment of FACT (events,<br />
actions) and ATTITUDE (thoughts, beliefs) for both of them.</p>
<p>It is common to be committed in fact (e.g. &#8220;married&#8221;) but<br />
not in attitude (e.g. &#8220;I&#8217;m not sure this is the right<br />
relationship for me&#8221;).</p>
<p>It is also common to be pre-committed in fact (e.g. dating<br />
exclusively) and committed in attitude (e.g. &#8220;This is &#8216;The<br />
One!&#8217; &#8220;).</p>
<p>In my work with couples I have found that the most important<br />
variable determining their future success is their level of<br />
commitment to the relationship.</p>
<p>In my experience, when couples are committed in fact, but<br />
not in attitude, their prognosis is poor.</p>
<p>Then, there are the pre-committed couples that generally<br />
fall into two categories-</p>
<p><strong>UNCONSCIOUS</strong>- typically following the &#8220;mini-marriage&#8221; model<br />
of trying the relationship out, acting committed without<br />
actually making the commitment. A disconnect of fact and<br />
attitude.</p>
<p><strong>CONSCIOUS</strong>- aware that they are not yet committed, usually<br />
have commitment as a goal, asking themselves &#8220;Is this the<br />
right relationship for me? Should I make a commitment?&#8221; An<br />
alignment of fact and attitude.</p>
<p><strong>CONCLUSION</strong></p>
<p>So, when is a relationship committed?</p>
<p>&#8211; When there is an alignment of fact and attitude.</p>
<p>What creates the &#8220;fact&#8221; of commitment?</p>
<p>I propose these three criterion:</p>
<p>CRITERIA #1: Promises made to each other about the permanent<br />
nature of the relationship that are kept</p>
<p>CRITERIA #2: Explicit, formal, public declaration</p>
<p>CRITERIA #3: Unambiguous to partners and others</p>
<p>In today&#8217;s world, if all three of the above are met, I would<br />
say it is a committed relationship, whether legally married<br />
or not.</p>
<p>I sincerely hope this article helps address the common<br />
questions about commitment that arise in relationship<br />
coaching. There are no pat answers or prescriptions, but it<br />
is my hope that these ideas and concepts will help you have<br />
productive conversations with your clients that are caught<br />
in the gray areas to support them to make effective<br />
relationship choices.</p>
<p>©2005 by David Steele<br />
<a href="../">http://consciousdating.com</a></p>
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		<title>Attachment Vs. Love: Is There a Difference?</title>
		<link>http://www.consciousdating.com/attachment-vs-love-is-there-a-difference/</link>
		<comments>http://www.consciousdating.com/attachment-vs-love-is-there-a-difference/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:25:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Conscious Dating]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://consciousdating.com/?p=386</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      
            
      By David Steele This month our Director of Singles Programs, Lynne Michelson asked our coaches: “A common problem that occurs for singles is the experience of a relationship ending but the feelings continuing for many months or longer with resulting sensations of emptiness and loss They know perhaps the relationship was not healthy, or that... <a href="http://www.consciousdating.com/attachment-vs-love-is-there-a-difference/"> [Continue Reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[      
            
      <p>By David Steele</p>
<p>This month our Director of Singles Programs, Lynne Michelson asked our coaches:</p>
<blockquote><p>“A  common problem that occurs for singles is the experience of a  relationship ending but the feelings continuing for many months or  longer with resulting sensations of emptiness and loss They know perhaps  the relationship was not healthy, or that they are better off without  the other person but they still feel &#8220;hooked&#8221; despite knowing the person  isn&#8217;t right for them. They might also know their requirements were not  being met, but they cannot get the person &#8220;out&#8221; of them. What thoughts  do you have about this?”</p></blockquote>
<p>It occurs to me that this  problem is true for the breakup of committed relationships as well.  Getting a divorce does not erase your love for, or your attachment to,  your ex. This has certainly been true for me and many people in my life I  care about.</p>
<p>It is tortuous to feel strongly about someone,  really want it to work, but choose to let the relationship go because  you must. If it could work, you would certainly find a way!</p>
<p>In my  experience and opinion, what keeps relationships together, and makes  breaking up hard to do, is more than love; it is attachment.</p>
<p><strong>WHAT IS ATTACHMENT?<br />
</strong><br />
Attachment  can mean many things, ranging from emotional affection to physical  affixation. Psychologists have whole theories around attachment and  identify clinical disorders caused by it. For our purposes, we can  define attachment simply as a “strong emotional bond.”</p>
<p>We humans  get attached. To objects, like cars, houses, money, books, clothes, etc.  We get attached to routines (e.g. washing your hands), beliefs (e.g.  killing is wrong), sensations and experiences (e.g. orgasm), activities  (e.g. work), and people. In the extreme, our attachment can be an  addiction.</p>
<p><strong>HOW ARE LOVE AND ATTACHMENT DIFFERENT?</p>
<p></strong>Love  and attachment seem pretty interconnected, but distinctly different.  Without going into highly debatable explanations and theories, it seems  to me that love is a positive feeling toward something or somebody, and  attachment is an emotional need for something or somebody. The major  difference seems to be that love is other-directed, and attachment is  self-centered.</p>
<p><strong>NEEDS VS. NEEDINESS</strong></p>
<p>If  attachment is a self-centered need for something or someone, then it  makes sense to me that if we have difficulty letting go of a  relationship that doesn&#8217;t work, it is less about love and more about our  own grief, fears, loneliness, and emotional needs/deficits.</p>
<p>For more about the role of needs in a relationship, see the article “<a href="http://www.relationshipcoachinginstitute.com/newsletter/2001/09.htm#Tech">Needs vs. Neediness</a>”</p>
<p><strong>WHAT TO DO ABOUT ATTACHMENT?</strong></p>
<p>It seems to me that the first step to letting go of an attachment is to be clear about love vs. attachment:</p>
<ul>
<li>Understanding the difference (e.g. attachment is not love)</li>
<li>Understanding the implications (e.g. it&#8217;s about me and my needs)</li>
<li>Understanding the consequences (e.g. if I continue to pursue a relationship that doesn&#8217;t work I&#8217;m setting myself up for failure)</li>
<li>Acknowledge  and honor the needs that are driving you to pursue an attachment that  isn&#8217;t working by finding ways to satisfy your needs productively. It is  hard to let go if doing so means falling into a chasm of pain and  emptiness.</li>
<li>Get the support you need to move on and  pursue involvement in activities and with people that are productive for  you. A coach and/or support group is great for this.</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If  you find yourself continually pursuing an attachment that doesn&#8217;t serve  you, seek the support of a therapist knowledgeable and competent in  helping people with sex/love addiction and co-dependency.<br />
© 2005 by David Steele /<a href="http://www,consciousdating.com/">www.consciousdating.com </a></p>
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		<title>The Sex Trap: Confusing Sex and Love</title>
		<link>http://www.consciousdating.com/the-sex-trap-confusing-sex-and-love/</link>
		<comments>http://www.consciousdating.com/the-sex-trap-confusing-sex-and-love/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:24:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Conscious Dating]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[      
            
      By David Steele As I had my morning coffee, the &#8220;Dear Abby&#8221; column caught my eye. A reader wrote in with a dating dilemma and ended her letter with that often-heard stereotype that &#8220;Women use sex to get love, and men use love to get sex.&#8221; This is a great summation of the &#8220;Sex Trap.&#8221;... <a href="http://www.consciousdating.com/the-sex-trap-confusing-sex-and-love/"> [Continue Reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[      
            
      <p>By David Steele</p>
<p>As I  had my morning coffee, the &#8220;Dear Abby&#8221; column caught my eye. A reader  wrote in with a dating dilemma and ended her letter with that  often-heard stereotype that &#8220;Women use sex to get love, and men use love  to get sex.&#8221; This is a great summation of the &#8220;Sex Trap.&#8221;</p>
<p>The  Sex Trap is similar to the Love Trap, where singles interpret good sex  as love. But those who fall into the Sex Trap go even farther, because  for these singles, having sex carries immense meaning and consequences.</p>
<p>Singles fall into the Sex Trap in one (or both) of two ways:</p>
<ul>
<li>They believe sex is a necessary test of compatibility, (if the sex is good then the relationship will be good as well)</li>
<li>More  commonly, all consciousness goes out the window, and one or both  formerly level-headed singles consider themselves a committed couple as  soon as they have sex.</li>
</ul>
<p>So, rather than looking at  whether this other person might be a match on levels other than physical  attraction — such as long-term requirements, needs, and wants — they  are blind-sided by the chemistry under the covers.<br />
No doubt,  it can be challenging to keep in touch with reality when all those  hormones are running wild. Our body reacts to someone we are attracted  to by producing hormones such as PEA or phenylethylamine (natural  amphetamine), dopamine and norepinephrine (natural mood enhancers), and  testosterone (increases sexual desire), which makes the opportunity to  have sex with someone we are attracted to extremely hard to resist.  Then, after orgasm, we produce oxytocin (which acts on the hypothalamus  to produce emotions), which makes us feel very close to and bonded with  our sex partner.<br />
These chemical reactions are involuntary and  strong, leading to powerful feelings of attraction, excitement, love,  closeness, and well-being. But when problems arise, those who fall into  the Sex Trap often rationalize by thinking, &#8220;Well, we&#8217;ve got problems,  but the sex is great!&#8221; They most likely wouldn&#8217;t admit it, but they  prioritize physical intimacy and regard the rest as optional. Their main  scouting tools are sexual attraction and physical compatibility.<br />
Barry North, an RCI coach who works primarily with gay men, says that many of his clients have fallen into the Sex Trap.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;For  gay men especially in metropolitan areas, sex is readily available, and  that in itself is a trap,&#8221; North says. &#8220;In addition, the culture, with  its emphasis on physical appearance, encourages sexual activity. Many  gay men want to find out from the beginning if a potential partner is  going to be sexually compatible. Why waste your time if the sex isn&#8217;t  going to be good?&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Nonetheless, North adds, &#8220;I suspect this is a &#8216;guy&#8217; thing rather than a &#8216;gay&#8217; thing.&#8221;<br />
I  do want to point out that chemistry is important. Yet, chemistry is a  given that we can&#8217;t control in a relationship; it is either there or not  there, and it must be there for the partnership to work. If not there,  we can&#8217;t &#8220;make&#8221; chemistry happen, though sometimes it can grow over  time.<br />
Singles who pursue a relationship based upon sexual  chemistry risk relationship failure when the hormone-induced  intoxication wears off and reality hits.<br />
To avoid the Sex  Trap, you must balance your heart (and hormones) with your head. This  means combining chemistry with common sense. While good sex is important  for a sustainable relationship, you need to make your partner choices  by paying full attention to your vision, values, goals and requirements —  while feeling all those exciting sparks!<br />
© 2004 by David Steele / All right reserved /<a href="http://www.consciousdating.com/">http://www.consciousdating.com</a></p>
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