Four Thoughts for a Successful First Date October 31, 2008
Posted by Jill Renee in : Romantic Tips , add a commentSome of us may be comfortable around our friends and loved ones, but that can be a different story on a first date which is time spent with someone we don’t know. There is a lot of uncertainty. There may be personality conflicts. Or, we may embarrass ourselves during the date. In the end, most of our nerves come from lack of familiarity. That is, we don’t know what we don’t know. But, if we can control our nerves and plan ahead, we can more easily enjoy ourselves. Below, we’ll explain the importance of planning a first date, the art of conversation, and keeping an open mind about the future.
These romantic tips provided by Danforth Diamond, your engagement ring experts.
Planning A Simple Date
Typically, whomever asked the other person out on a date has the responsibility of planning it. A lot of people, men especially, plan extravagant first dates in order to impress the other person. It’s unnecessary. In fact, planning such a date can create an artificial sense of pressure on both partners.
Plan something simple to do that will leave plenty of opportunity to have a conversation. Lunch is great; movies are not. Visiting the zoo can be a good idea; a stage production is decidedly less so. The point of going out for the first time is getting to know each other. The only way to truly do that is by talking.
Being A Good Conversationalist
The art of conversation involves more than merely talking to someone. It is a “give and take” process whereby you are sharing things about yourself while giving your dating partner room to share, also. Too often, people on first dates either bombard the other person with a relentless monologue or they simply clam up. Remember, first dates are built upon conversation. It is the best way to share ideas, stories, and goals while getting to know each other.
That said, there are some topics that should be left for later. For example, there’s little value in talking about your past relationships. And discussing political or religious ideas may cause more harm than good on a first date.
Keep An Open Mind
Chances are, your dating partner won’t be perfect. Neither will you. And while first impressions are powerful, they may be misleading. For example, if your date seems distracted, it may not imply aloofness. It may be due to something that happened during that day. Keep an open mind.
What’s more, it’s unreasonable to expect your date’s long-term goals will perfectly match your own. For example, if your date wants two children and you want four, that is hardly a dealbreaker. Time spent together has a way of motivating people to modify their long-term goals.
Is There Potential?
The objective of going on a first date is to discover whether the potential exists for a romantic relationship. It’s likely that you are already attracted to the other person. Now is the opportunity to see whether there is more than mere attraction. Shared ideas, mutual interests, and similar goals can help pave the way toward enjoying each other’s company over the long-term.
First dates can be both nerve-wracking and rousing. The excitement of spending time with someone new can cause unnecessary pressure. By planning ahead, being a good conversationalist, and keeping an open mind throughout the date, you can enjoy yourself while gauging the level of mutual interest. Millions of successful relationships have begun the same way.
How to Approach the One – Essential Guidelines October 24, 2008
Posted by Jill Renee in : Romantic Tips , add a commentFrom Danforth Diamond, your engagement ring experts.
A date will never happen without making the first contact. You can glance and gaze at another person across a crowded room all night; if neither person approaches the other, the attraction will never lead anywhere. Often, fear and anxiety hold people back and prevent them from interacting with each other. It’s understandable. Nobody enjoys the prospect of being rejected by someone they have never met. It is much easier – and safer – to stay planted in our seats. Unfortunately, if you want to meet the person to whom you feel attracted, you will need to get up, walk over, and introduce yourself. In this article, we’ll describe how to make the first contact on the road to starting a romantic relationship.
Getting Over The Fear
Most of us fear the unknown. The tendency is based upon our survival instinct. The things we are unfamiliar about carry an inherent possibility of danger. So, we naturally avoid them, unless properly motivated to do otherwise. But, this fear can actually paralyze us and prevent us from meeting new people. This is the reason why millions of people resist the urge to introduce themselves to strangers.
If you see someone that you are attracted to, yet hesitate to make contact, you need to examine your fears. Are your fears valid? Most of the time, we simply fear being rejected. If we accept rejection as an ever-present possibility, the idea of approaching someone to whom we’re attracted becomes easy.
Initial Attraction – Played by the rules October 17, 2008
Posted by Jill Renee in : Romantic Tips , add a commentThe laws of initial attraction are universal. They ignore the restraints of culture, gender, and language. For most people, being attracted to another person is based upon how that other person looks. We are, by nature, drawn toward those who are physically attractive to us. When we gather the courage to act on that attraction, it can spark the beginning of a romantic relationship.
Occasionally, you may hear people claim that looks are not important to them. While that may suit their ideal about themselves, it ignores our basic human instinct. In truth, all of us are initially attracted to other people for the same reason: because they look good to us. Below, we’ll explore what happens during the first glance that sparks our interest in others. We’ll also take a closer look at the role that physical chemistry and sexuality play in attraction.
First Glance
Each of us has experienced the sensation that goes through our mind and body when someone catches our eye. It begins with a fleeting glance. Often, our eyes casually drift across another person while scanning a room or watching others. In that moment, attraction is instantly triggered. No matter where we look afterwards, something about that other person draws our attention. The initial attraction tantalizes our curiosity. At the same time, we become acutely aware of our own appearance to others. We struggle to keep calm even as we become increasingly self-conscious. Soon, the first glance gives way to a second and third.
How World-Class Jewelry Thief Was Caught October 9, 2008
Posted by Jill Renee in : Jewelry , 1 comment so far
Since the Middle Ages, Antwerp has stood as the capital of the world’s diamond trade with specialists perfecting the art of cutting and polishing the precious stones. And due to the huge trade that flowed through the city, Antwerp was largely regarded as a pipe dream, the criminal version of the hitting the lottery and with about the same odds of success. Buried in the heart of the city, the Antwerp Diamond Center is locked down in all the right ways. Armed guards control who gets in and out. Movements are constantly covered by electronic surveillance. Keys are monitored. Goods are compartmentalized. Barricades control vehicle access. By all means, the Diamond Centre was the last place anyone wanted to steal diamonds, the stakes were too high.
The School of Turin
A group of largely Italian professional thieves, known as the School of Turin, decided that hitting the Diamond Centre was not only feasible, it was their goal. The group knew that with heightened security and the reputation that the Diamond Centre had, that security at the Centre was likely to have a major vulnerability – complacency. The extreme level of security also meant that the Antwerp Diamond Centre would be no simple smash and grab. No, it would take planning, a great deal of planning. Member Leonardo Notarbatol took an inside job as a diamond merchant, giving the School of Turin unprecedented access to the inside of the Antwerp Diamond Centre and the 160 security boxes of diamonds, jewels, and other riches that it contained. The rest of the team split themselves up and organized by specialties – safe crackers, alarm experts, getaway drivers. The plan started to shape up in a way that would make most Hollywood screenwriters jealous – the School of Turin was turning a job on the Antwerp Diamond Centre into Oceans 11 without the banter.
Breaking In
At approximately 7:00 pm local time, on Friday the 14th of February, 2003, the group known as the School of Turin was beginning the active phase of the largest diamond heist the world has ever seen. Notarbartolo reportedly had remained in the vault that Friday night when the security doors closed automatically at 7:00 pm. Several hours later, the elevator leading down to vault was purportedly used by three other members of the School. The motion detector at the foot of the elevator has already been disabled by an application of spray silicone, and the vault’s light detector had been rendered useless with a simple piece of tape. With all of the prep work done, the School of Turin found themselves alone with the vault of the Antwerp Diamond Center.
Read the rest of this article about this amazing jewelry heist. Provided by Danforth Diamond, your engagement ring experts.
