10 SKILLS TO IMPRESS WOMEN.

1 Conversation
Difficulty to acquire: 6/10
Though it might not strike you as much of
a skill when you’re shooting the bull with
friends, conversation with women — in
whom you’re interested and whom you
don’t know well — is a skill, and one that
takes some practice. Listening and
actually paying attention becomes
infinitely more important. You want to
come across as both confident and
empathetic, which is something of a
balancing act. Being able to explain and
adequately express yourself, though, can
easily cover for lacking any of these other
skills, which is why it’s so crucial.
2 Style and grooming
Difficulty to Acquire: 2/10
Every guy has his own personal style, but
there’s a thin line between hipster
carelessness and looking like a slob. It’s
better to stay a comfortable distance on
the clean-cut side of that line. There’s
nothing difficult or even time-consuming
about good grooming, but women often
complain that men simply don’t bother to
take care of their appearances, and the
only excuse to let yourself go completely
is laziness.
3 Bedroom skills
Difficulty to acquire: 6/10
s*x is important, even if not for its own
sake, then because women often read
into it emotionally and assign it its own
relevance as an indicator of how you feel
about them
4 Handyman skills
Difficulty to acquire: 4/10
This broad category covers everything a
man can reasonably be expected to do in
maintaining a home and doing basic
repairs; none of this stuff is as
complicated as working with a car, and it
mostly comes down to having the right
tools for the job and being willing to get
your hands dirty. There’s virtually nothing
the internet can’t tell you how to fix, but
it’s no less impressive to a woman when
you can be relied upon for all those
repairs
5 Athletics
Difficulty to acquire: 6/10
As much as women want you to have an
emotional, sensitive side, they still want
you to be a man, and playing a tough,
physically demanding sport is about as
masculine as it gets. Bragging about your
golf game might impress your coworkers,
but it doesn’t have quite the same impact
to a woman as boxing, football or some
other high-intensity, testosterone-fueled
activity.
6 Cooking
Difficulty to acquire: 3/10
You don’t have to take classes or start
shopping for expensive cookware — just
start small. Every woman, everywhere, is
just a little bit pleasantly surprised to
discover that a man can cook, actually
wants to cook and seems to genuinely
know what he’s doing, so begin by
perfecting a handful of recipes. The bonus
here is that you’ll soon be eating better
and tastier food yourself. Once you’ve
mastered a few classics (like making the
perfect steak and some side dishes),
expand your repertoire as you see fit.
7 Dancing
Difficulty to acquire: 4/10
If there’s one way to demonstrate that
you’re confident, easygoing and
approachable all at once, it’s dancing. On
the surface, dancing is pretty
straightforward, and there’s certainly
nothing hard about it — you’re moving
your body rhythmically, and how you’re
doing it isn’t too important. The hangup
here is feeling that you’re too
uncoordinated or too shy to try, in which
case it may seem daunting.
8 Fixing a car
Difficulty to acquire: 6/10
Learning how to fix a car will probably
seem daunting if engines have mystified
you up until this point, but luckily you
don’t really need to know much. The
objective is to understand enough that
you maintain your car correctly and can
actually diagnose car troubles (particularly
in the company of a woman) instead of
just opening the hood and looking
puzzled. Besides, knowing the basics will
make you seem like less of a rube to
dishonest mechanics.
9 Playing an instrument
Difficulty to acquire: 7/10
For starters, playing an instrument well is
just an impressive ability, period. It
speaks volumes, to men and women
alike, about your character. On the other
hand, where another man might just
respect your ability to master what is, for
most people, not an easy skill, women
will equate your ability to play an
instrument with a poetic sensibility they
might not otherwise have recognized in
you.
10 Speaking other languages
Difficulty to acquire: 8/10
Certainly the hardest skill on this list to
pick pick up as an adult, speaking a
foreign language is a sign either of
dedication (that you’ve taken the time and
effort to learn) or of worldliness, and
women will be intrigued by both of those,
particularly if you don’t flaunt the ability
and just let it come up at the right
moment. Obviously you’re not going to
learn a language overnight, but the
resources are endless — you only need to
supply the time.

7 CURES FOR RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS

From not enough money to too much
stress, there are many common triggers
for relationship issues. But can your
union be saved?
According to the top relationship experts,
there are certain things you need to
understand about yourself and your
partner:
1. Understand relationship phases.
Relationships have three general phases:
romantic, conflict and commitment.
Unless they’re sending you a serious red
flag, it’s hard to figure out if someone’s a
keeper in the romantic phase.
“This is the stage where it’s all fun,” says
Richo, a psychotherapist (DaveRicho.com)
and author of How to Be an Adult in
Relationships (Shambhala). “Neither
person will show their dark side very
much, so you don’t have a picture of the
whole person.”
So when do you really know whether he’s
that special someone? When the masks
come off, says Richo. Which is why
fighting from the very start about money,
work and how many times you have s*x a
week can threaten even the most
promising unions.
What’s key is how you handle these
relationship stages and working through
relationship issues appropriately.
2. Admit your emotional dependence.
Making an emotional connection is what
people hunger for the most, says Sue
Johnson, a professor of clinical psychology
at the University of Ottawa and author of
Hold Me Tight (Little Brown and
Company).
Recognizing and admitting that you’re
emotionally dependent on your partner
can transform key moments in your
relationship and bring you closer than
ever.
“All the evidence shows that when you
feel safe, connected and sure, you’re
better at taking care of your partner, at
talking about everything from kids to
s*x,” Johnson says. As a result, you’ll have
a more satisfying s*x life.
People often feel ashamed about needing
emotional ties. “Not just men either,” she
says. “Women say this means I’m weak or
immature. I shouldn’t need this comfort
from him.”
3. Show your love the right way.
Attention, acceptance, appreciation,
affection – as well as respect for each
other’s deepest needs and wishes – is the
foundation of a good relationship, Richo
says. To improve your relationship, help
your partner know what he means to you
by expressing these 4 A’s.
“Love isn’t based on the amount of
adrenaline we feel coursing through our
bodies, but rather whether we’re present
in those five ways,” he says. “I know I love
someone when I show those four A’s and
I know they love me when they show
them in return.”
Unfortunately, we often mistake that first
rush of hormones for true love.
“The pitter-patter excitement of a heart
skipping a beat is all OK in the romantic
phase,” Richo explains, “but that can’t be
your ultimate test of whether love is
real.”
4. Embrace “Me, me, me!”
Sound selfish? Not at all, says Alison
Armstrong, founder of the Understanding
Men series of workshops
(UnderstandMen.com) and author of
Making Sense of Men (Pax Programs).
“Before you commit to someone else, get
clear about what is most important in
your life and spend your time, money
and energy on that.”
In fact, most people are attracted to
those who feel comfortable in their own
skin, she says.
5. Fight, yes, but don’t be cruel.
Happy, functional couples fight – it’s part
of the deal (and make-up s*x is the happy
ending). But when unhappy couples brawl,
it can be like War of the Roses. And
nothing brings a troubled relationship
down faster.
“A lot of couples’ therapy is helping
people fight in a nicer way,” Johnson says.
Happy couples who feel secure with one
another probably won’t get as mean as
those who aren’t feeling love from their
partner.
“They can find a way to reach for each
other” and make “safe, emotional
connections,” Johnson says.
Her No. 1 fighting rule: Don’t turn your
partner into the enemy. “Try to listen to
your own needs and fears that are coming
up in these fights,” she says. It’ll help you
feel secure with each other, even in the
midst of battle.
Another difference: Even in the midst of
a fight, healthy couples feel safe, they can
“call” for their partner and their partner
will come, Johnson says.
6. Examine your definition of trust.
Traditionally, a relationship based on
trust meant, “I trust you to be faithful and
keep your agreements,” Richo says.
But in modern times, your definition of
trust needs to also create room for the
inevitabilities of life and love, and how
you handle them, he says, such as:
“I trust myself to appreciate that you will
keep your agreements and work things
out with me.”
“I trust myself to receive that with
appreciation, and I also trust myself to
handle the times when you don’t come
through, when you don’t keep
agreements.”
“And in those times, I trust myself to try
to work it out and not to retaliate.”
People aren’t perfect, and they’re not
always as loving and loyal as they intend
to be or you want them to be.
Even though “you’re totally open to your
partner’s trustworthiness, the trust is in
myself,” Richo says. “If and when
something happens to contradict that, I’m
not going to fall apart.”
7. Get to the real heart of the problem.
You know those arguments where your
partner complains about the dirty dishes
in the sink and you end up defending
yourself or shutting down?
The real problem is deeper, Johnson says.
“This isn’t about whether to build a new
cottage,” Johnson says. “This is about the
fact that I’m scared if we build a new
cottage, you’ll spend a lot of time up
there and withdraw from me and I’ll feel
lonely.”
Getting to the truth of feelings driving
the fight – and sharing those truths – is
key to a happy love life.
Likewise, recognizing the wounds that
make you react impulsively is the first
step in healing them, Johnson says. Those
raw spot forms when your attachment
needs aren’t met and you feel
emotionally deserted.

WAYS TO KNW U RE IN LUV.

Your Brain Acts Like It’s on Drugs
Studies have shown that when you’re
falling in love, the rush of chemicals that
flood your brain—oxytocin, dopamine,
adrenaline and vasopressin—are similar to
the types of chemicals released by heroin
You May Get a Little Overshare-y
An hour ago, you were strangers. Now
you’re spilling how you slept with a
stuffed bunny ’til you were 10. Your
brain decides in 20 minutes whether or
not a person is trustworthy—so feeling
safe swapping stories is a good sign
you’re on your way to a solid bond.
You Get a Spine-Tingling Rush
You know those shivers that start when
you hear an awesome song like “Rollin’
in the Deep” or see a beyond-beautiful
sunset? Well, those same tinglies occur
when you’re crushing hard on a dude,
too.
Ryan Gosling? Meh.
When you’re in love, guys you formerly
thought were droolworthy lose a lot of
their appeal. Scientists believe this is
evolutionary: In caveman times, it
made sense to stick with a mate long
enough to raise a child together. Now?
Expect your The Notebook DVD to
gather some dust.
You Don’t Snap at Bitchy People
When you dig a guy, your brain pumps
your bod full of the so-called “love
drug” hormone oxytocin—which
scientists theorize makes you feel
more friendly and sociable.
You Get Less Headaches
Who needs ibuprofen? Research has
found that oxytocin may actually
minimize migraines.
You Can See It In Your Eyes
When you see someone you’re
attracted to, your pupils dilate. Even
cooler? Research has found that people
rate faces with larger pupils as more
attractive than ones without, so all that
eye contact is only making you hotter.
You Feel Less Stressed
Kissing decreases the stress hormone
cortisol flowing through your bod,
meaning a few makeout sessions can
totally chill you out.