If you have never ventured to the internet to find a mate before, you might be reluctant. Probably your hesitancy is because of how you think you will be perceived by others. “Will my friends think I’m desperate?” might be your first thought. My advice is to forget what others think. It’s not desperate; it’s smart. Do you want to let what others might think interfere with finding your soul mate? And more importantly, in this day and age, chances are your friends have a profile too.
When I made my first profile on Yahoo Personals back in 2002, I was nervous. But the yearning to meet that unique individual who I might be compatible with led me to do it. Back then, personals were just starting to take off and it was not common for people to have profiles. I put the profile up and a few weeks later, one of the women in my office called me to her desk. She smiled and giggled and said, “I saw your profile online. Why did you do that, are you desperate?” My reply: “Why were you looking at profiles, are you desperate?” Embarrassed, she shooed me out of her office.
The point I am making is that lots of people are looking online for a significant other. So even if they don’t have a profile, they’re looking! Be confident. If someone questions your online dating, answer them simply: “I want to find someone to share my days with.” They will be intrigued by your positive and confident outlook and everyone can identify with wanting to share their life with someone. If you don’t show insecurity when you admit to online dating, you dismiss the unfortunate and unfounded stigma of it and I bet you, you will change their outlook on it too. I’ve noticed my friends were off put by my online search for love at first but now almost all of them have profiles too. They saw I wasn’t ashamed and they realized they shouldn’t be either. Go for it! You’ve got nothing to lose but a lifetime of being single.
