I have a little sister, but she ‘s pretty savvy when it comes to love and relationships. In fact, she’s now past the dating phase as she married her prince (who is an awesome young man) this past summer. But if I had another little sister who needed dating advice, these are the things I would tell her. Before I begin, I want to add that I am not a relationship/dating expert. I do not hold myself out as one. I have had experiences that taught me lessons, or I’ve learned a lot of lessons from other people. Now let’s begin 
1. Love yourself first
I cannot stress this very important factor enough. How can you expect someone else to love you if you do not love you? Know that despite your flaws, you are lovable and valuable. All of us can grow and improve, but a need for growth doesn’t mean you do not deserve love. If you do not love yourself now, take some time away from dating and learn the art of self-love. Not loving yourself while dating can do more harm than good, because you will most likely end up in and tolerate situations that mirror the way you feel about yourself. Do not skip this step, it’s extremely important.
2. Stand firm in your core values and beliefs
What are your values? What is most important to you when dating and/or when in a relationship? Knowing the answers to these questions can help you to know what you want and don’t want in a relationship. Do not be “Victim Veronica” who ignored the red flags because she did not take a stand. If you are uncomfortable with intimacy before marriage or exclusivity – stick to your guns. If it’s important to you that your significant other treats you respectfully, don’t ignore disrespect. Your core values make you who you are; don’t compromise them.
3. Be Yourself
I once read a quote that essentially said twisting yourself into a pretzel to make someone like you will simply leave you twisted. I couldn’t agree more. There are far better ways to spend your time than wasting it being someone you are not. Why not be yourself and allow someone to fall in love with the authentic you?
4. Go after your dreams
I cringe when I see young ladies moping around depressed, because a man refused to see their worth. I won’t lie, there is a time to stay in your room and mourn a heartbreak. Been there. Done that. Preaching to the choir. Nevertheless, there is also a time and a season to pick yourself up, brush your shoulders off, and make a decision to move on and live your life. Do not let anyone rob you of your dreams, desires, talents and youth. You will look back and regret it if you do. Someone not loving you is not an excuse to rob the world of your talents. It’s also not an excuse to potentially miss out on meeting the one who will.
5. You really are beautiful
Unfortunately we live in a society with a very limited definition of beauty. Thankfully there are many people who fight against those limitations, yet women are bombarded daily with images that make them feel unattractive. I do not think God made a mistake when he created such diversity in the human population. As such, our definition of beauty should reflect that diversity, I digress. Nevertheless, learn to celebrate the beauty that is you. Tell her (that woman in the mirror) that she is beautiful, take care of her, and love her. You are beautiful, you really are.
6. Stop Worrying So Much
Ok, so you are 25 and you don’t have a boyfriend/boo/significant other. Don’t worry about it, it will happen in due time. Now, I don’t think there is anything wrong with being proactive about trying to meet someone. Just make sure you are having fun in the process. Go out, meet people, take that class you’ve always wanted to take, visit that country, volunteer, just live! Sitting at home moping and crying about it won’t do you any good, so quit worrying.
7. Believe them
Know the quote, “When people show you who they are believe them?” It’s true. How many women have wasted years with men who showed them they were not so good from the beginning. People do not change unless they want to, so there is no use in thinking you will and can change him. Let him go. While you are wasting time over “Mr. No-Good,” you could be missing out on “Mr. Good.” For this one, I usually pray for clarity and guidance if I’m unsure, it never failed.
What about you guys, what would you tell your younger sister,cousin, friend, self about dating?
