Claudia really liked this guy Tom. They had been dating a little under a month and met online. She was feeling pretty head over heels for him, but even though she was super attracted to to him, she was sticking to your own boundaries and hadn’t slept with him yet. He was sexy, mysterious and the typical strong, silent type. But he told her she was beautiful, they seemed to have a lot in common and he even offered to take down his online dating profile (Yes! she thought. We are finally getting somewhere!).  And then days went by and she didn’t hear from him. Then days became weeks and she never heard from Tom again. 

When we looked at the situation a little deeper, there were a few clear signs early in the dating stages that Tom, although being super attracted to Claudia, was emotionally unavailable for the long-term. She had felt these red flags, but because she really liked him, she decided to brush them off. 

It’s easy for us to get emotionally involved with and open our hearts to someone who quite simply, cannot for whatever reason, reciprocate that back to us. It does not mean there is something wrong with you or even them. It’s just where they are at in their emotional capacity to give and receive love. But if you can spot these 3 red flags early on, you will save yourself a lot of time and unnecessary heartache and move on to someone who is available and can’t wait to date your fine self!

• Red Flag #1 -He talks about his ex constantly (in a negative or positive way) 

Now, it’s normal to have the “ex” talk at some point in your relationship, but it’s usually with the understanding of informing your current date that you are over them and ready for a new experience. If your date is constantly bringing up their ex in conversation, watch this because it could be that there is some unfinished business there and they may not be ready to fully move on. The last thing you want to be is the rebound.

• Red Flag #2-When you ask him what he’s passionate about aka “What do you want to do when you grow up?” he has no answer or changes the subject quickly

Having a career/job/Life Purpose that they can be proud of is often a prerequisite to being able to completely give love to a woman in the way we want. If they are wavering on how they are contributing to society or feel lost in this area, most likely they will waver in their ability to commit fully to a partnership with you. Unless you want a casual connection, pay attention to what they say when you ask about this. Important: When you ask, make sure it’s coming from a place of genuine curiosity and wanting to know more about them about vs. sizing them up financially! Energy is super palpable!

• Red Flag #3 He goes hot and cold a la Katy Perry style with plans (extremes of being super available to you and affectionate and then the next, cold, distant or doing the disappearing act)

You may have heard of the rubber band effect, where a man will pull back before he decides to get close again. That is very common but what distinguishes that from the red flag I mean here is that when it comes to setting a time to meet with you, an emotionally available man will let you know he’s running late. He will say something like, “I’m sorry but I need to work tonight later than I thought.” It may or may not be the rubber band thing happening, but he has the courtesy to let you know that plans have changed. The emotionally unavailable date rarely bothers to let you know. They are all about themselves and unless it’s convenient for them, you’re not getting a phone call. 

By following your intuition from the get-go and noticing when these red flags pop up early, you’ll be right on track to attracting another date who can’t wait to get to know you and who is ready for an amazing relationship!

Your Turn: Have you ever dated someone who was emotionally unavailable? Which one of the red flags or clues did you notice looking back? What helped you to move on? Please share your comment with us!

ps: Are you tired of being single? Take my FREE class that’s coming up later this month!

“Top 5 Reasons You’re Still Single and What to do about it now!”

Click here to RSVP. 

7 Practices of Body Confident Women

By Guest, Alexis Logan

I used to think body confidence was overrated. When I was in elementary school, I was the biggest girl in school. I remember feeling I was too fat because I could not share clothes with my skinny girlfriends and the cute guys saw me as friend rather than girlfriend material.

So I committed myself to my academics because as long as I felt smart, I didn’t worry about feeling uncomfortable in my body. Unfortunately, I lived the majority of my life focusing on my accomplishments and what I could offer instead of learning to feel good in my body.

When I started my business, I ended up repelling clients instead of attracting them because my body language and energy screamed, “I don’t feel good about me.” I never really got it until a woman approached me at a networking event and asked if I believed in what I was saying. That’s when I realized my external accomplishments would never compensate for how I felt about my body. And if I did not feel good about myself, then clients would not feel good about hiring me.

So I decided to learn how to love myself and feel confident in my body. After working on myself for years and coaching women around the insecurities they have about their bodies, here’s a short list of common practices body confident women do on a regular basis to cultivate confidence and self-love.

1. Body Confident Women practice self-compassion.

They are not striving for perfection, but self-love and acceptance. Instead of judging themselves for not looking a certain way, they celebrate their uniqueness. And when they find themselves going down the rabbit hole of negativity, they focus on the progress they’ve made, no matter how small it feels.

2. Body Confident Women address their self-image issues head on.

They get to the center of how they are seeing, thinking, and feeling about themselves. Because they know the sooner they address it, the faster they can get back to enjoying their life experiences like sex, eating, and wearing hot outfits.

3. Body Confident Women honor their desires without judgment.

They want to skip the workout… they do it. They want to have sex.. they get ready. They want to eat chocolate, they go for it. They move in alignment with what they are feeling and don’t push themselves unless it feels right. Pushing creates comparison and judgment.

4. Body Confident Women trust their bodies.

They make friends with their bodies, learn what their bodies need and what works for them. They realize their bodies are knowledgable and when they listen, they will understand what their bodies need.

5. Body Confident Women eat with relish.

They nourish themselves with foods they love, make them feel good, and indulge when they want. They know food is a physical and emotional experience, when done right, leaves them satisfied instead of hungry for more. Food becomes an experiment for their taste buds instead of an obsession.

6. Body Confident Women treat other women with respect and love.

They honor the women around them as goddesses instead of the competition. They speak highly of other women and support other women because they know judging others means they are judging themselves.

7. Body Confident Women ask for support.

They are in-tune with their emotions and they know when they need help to move forward. They are not afraid to let others help them because they know they don’t have all the answers, but they have a willingness to learn.

Pick one practice to work on each week so you can boost your body confidence quickly, love who you see in the mirror, and become a rockstar in your business!

Alexis Logan helps ambitious women entrepreneurs get past hang-ups about their bodies so they can take center stage and unleash their star power. The founder of Whole Body Confidence, she’s helped some of the most successful thought leaders and coaches permanently increase their body confidence and become the hottest leaders in their industries, without having the same boring conversation about diet + exercise. Get her free guide, The 4 Hidden Ways Hang-Ups About Your Body Sabotage Success (And The Cure) here.