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It can get rough out there trying to find a date, let alone your soul mate. If you’re about ready to throw in the towel and/or Aunt Linda tried to fix you up yet again (this time with her dog walker) … do not give up on love. There are now hundreds of dating sites out there that cater to surprisingly specific profiles. There’s JDate.com and MuslimMatch.com for the faith conscious; RightStuffDating.com for Ivy League alums ... and everything in between: Sites to make you a match with someone who's compatible in occupation, preoccupation, diet, parental status, eco-stance or spiritual POV. But before you fill out your profile, start with this guide to Internet dating 2.0
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Jump to:
Part I: 3 rules for online dating success
Part II: Review of 6 ingriguing targeted dating sites
Part III: 5 ways to make Internet dating less awkward
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Part I: 3 rules for online dating success
1. Find yourself before you set out to find "the one."
“The best way to find the right dating site is to first discover what your own core values are,” says relationship expert Gay Hendricks. Before you choose a dating site, get in touch with who you really are and what’s essential to you, he suggests.
“If spirituality is a core value and high priority to you,” he adds, “find sites that resonate with that value — and represent your authentic self to the online world. The more we can know ourselves, the easier it is to attract the right mate.”
2. Try a targeted site to help you get noticed.
SingleEdition.com founder Sherri Langburt recommends trying a niche site as opposed to a general dating site like Match.com or Yahoo! Personals because your profile is more likely to stand out.
“Many people flock to the most popular dating sites without realizing that their profile can get overlooked in those highly trafficked destinations,” she says. “With smaller niche sites, chances are you will connect with members who share like-minded values and interests — right off the bat.”
One of the newest niche dating sites, Gaia Soulmates, was launched to to help people find a partner with similar spiritual values. “Once someone’s done their inner work — from nightly intention-setting to visualizing their ideal mate to workshops on self-love and appreciation,” says Gaia Soulmates Director Siona van Dijk, "the next step involves moving outside yourself and taking action. Gaia Soulmates is a great way to gently let the universe know you’re ready to meet someone.”
Van Dijk explains that it can be difficult finding spiritually-minded matches on the larger dating sites where 'spiritual but not religious' is merely one category among many.
Nick and Alexandra, a New York based couple in their early 40s who’ve been married for almost a year and have a 6-month old daughter, met on JDate.com. They were engaged about 4 months after their first date. “I was just coming out of a relationship and wanted to enter the dating pool slowly,” says Nick. “I was hoping to meet someone Jewish and I thought Jdate would be a good place to meet some smart, appropriate women.
Nick says he now recommends JDate to other Jewish people. "I was happy with it," he says. "I met Alexandra there."
3. Be honest.
It’s OK to visit sites that target people you're interested in, even if you’re not member of the targeted group, says Langburt — just be honest about that fact. “Remember Asianfriendfinders.com is for Asians, JDate.com is for Jews, Primesingles.com is for Baby Boomers and SingleParentDating.com is for non-married solo parents,” she says. “If you do not match the criteria but are attracted to those who do, come clean in your profile.”
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Jump to:
Part II: Review of 6 ingriguing targeted dating sites
Part III: 5 ways to make Internet dating less awkward
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We live such a rushed and busy life, we hardly have time for ourselves let lone finding a genuine and lasting relationship.
After graduating from law school, I finally felt I was ready to find my soulmate. I joined mathc.com and I wrote a letter to God describing what I wanted in my spouse. I then meditated for about 2 months to get to know myself and what I wanted in my future as a careerwoman and future wife.
Literally 2 months after writing the letter my now husband contacted me through match.com.
Our first date lasted 8 hours and I know that he was my soulmate as soon as I saw him standing in the parking lot of the restaurant we went to for our first date! We've now been married for six months and together for almost 4 years!
Jun 25, 2009 10:58:59 AM