Sup folks, been a while since I’ve updated (again). The reason…. I haven’t had any work, lol. These last few months have been rough in quite a few areas of my life. Still working to get back up to the top of my game. I’ve realized, the only way to keep my blog very active is to blog about more than JUST my photography work. There’s so much more that I see on a day-to-day basis that I’d love to just put down on paper (or in a post, lol).

So starting that, I’ll take a delve into something a little more personal to me….. relationships. Now, i’m far from a relationship expert…. FAR from it. So far that in the past few years I’ve mainly dated casually. But recently, I’ve been learning more and more about what it takes to keep a relationship going (if you are in one). Now below is my top 10 on how to improve on it and yourself. Keep in mind, this is only from my point-of-view, this ain’t professional, lol :

1. Be upfront from the jump
On your first date, and even during the dating/relationship phase, be upfront about what you’re about, so that it’ll never come off as a surprise later on. It’ll also give the other person a chance to backout early before the feelings start to hit.

2. Don’t EVER bring up your past
Bringing up your past is a SUPER NO-NO. I’ve learned this the hard way. A girl doesn’t care about your past, or how it affects you today. Simply said, if you can’t learn to let it go, keep it to yourself. It’ll save you from alot of fights, lol.

3. Check your comfort level
If you are uncomfortable about the person you’re dating, whether it be because of age, sex, race or anything…. check yourself from the first few dates. If the feeling doesn’t seem to subside, that will put a huge hamper on the bond that you two could have, and will ultimately crush the relationship.

4. Surprise her at random moments
In my opinion, a woman is always waiting for a man to fail, to fall, to mess up. At the most random moment, surprise her with a kiss on the cheek; a cute little card; Trust me when I say, she will be GLOWING after that moment!

5. Complement her at the most random times
This goes hand in hand with #4. Complement your woman on how she looks, how she smiles, her new earrings or anything! For the fact that you’ve noticed, you’ll be all the more special to her.

6. Treat her, then treat yourself
Sometimes, some of us men tend to get so comfortable that we stop treating her out to a dinner or movie as much as we did when we first met. She’ll notice this and believe me… you’ll hear about it. Don’t wait for her to ask “what are we doing this weekend?”. Have your options ready. After you’ve treated her…. treat yourself. Be proud of the fact that you made her night again. You deserve to celebrate. Now, this doesn’t mean, completely milk out your wallet to treat her/yourself, spend within your means. It’s the little things that count (most of the time).

7. At all times, make her feel special…. even if she’s being a real bitch (lol)
There’s gonna be times when she is REALLY wearing out your patience. Sometimes you may snap, fighting is inevitable sometimes….. but after the fact…… talk it out, give her a hug, send some flowers to her job. That kind of stuff is what makes it all worth it. There will also be times when someone else gets to her and has her down and beaten. These are the times where we talk less, listen more, and hold her. Trust me…. she’ll need to vent.

8. Listen and watch her
Sometimes you may be unsure about your situation. Listen to what she says, watch what she does. If she’s being disrespectful to you (or herself), check her on it. Guys can feel that deep pain just like girls do. Let her know she’s being wrong in what she does instead of turning your head to it. She has every right to do the same to us. Now…. on the flipside, if you’re listening and watching, and she’s doing all the right things…. you’ve got yourself a keeper! Resort to #5

9. Be careful of what you say to/around her
Be careful of what you say around her (even your jokes). You’ll be shocked at what can be brought up in an argument. It’ll bite you in the back hard. Also be very careful of what you say to her, the last thing you need is to hit her where it hurts, there is nothing worse than seeing a woman cry and knowing that you were the cause of it.

10. Tune out what everyone else says, listen to yourself
In every relationship whether short or long term…… there will always be someone who is against what you are doing. We’ve all heard them in our ear before : “He/She ain’t right for you”, “Where is he/she from, you can’t trust them”, “He/She’s gotta be cheating on you”…. lol, we’ve heard them all…. on more than one occasion. Take a breather……. tune everyone out…… and listen to yourself. Do you have red flags about your relationship? If not, then make it clear that it is YOUR situation, not your friends’. Your friends will always be there for you through thick and thin. Sometimes are looking out for your best interest, sometimes they are jealous, sometimes they just don’t like your girl, lol. Just make sure you make the decisions you make because you want to, not because of outside influences.

Funny Bonus ***
11. If she farts/burps/etc by accident……. take the wrap, lol
End of the line, but I had to add this one for giggles. Literally almost every person I’ve dated or had a relationship with this has occurred. If she burps, farts, is a bad dancer, etc. Take the wrap, lol. It’ll make her laugh and feel less embarrassed. Its great to laugh about this situations, but just for a little, don’t go overboard with the laughter or else she’ll feel more embarrassed then before. Just some food for thought

Now…. you’re probably wondering… “Mark, do you live by these rules???”. My clean cut answer……. no. This has just been clouding up my mind during the past week, and this is my first time letting it out. Will I try to take this list into consideration during my next potential date? Yes. It can’t hurt, it can only help   (lol, I need to get me a book deal)

Well, enough of that! My next post will probably be about….. agh! who knows! Whatever tomorrow brings!