Several of my good friends and I are single right now and we’re in constant communication about our dates. It’s really fun to have this massive group text going. I love the updates and I feel super supported as I dip my toes back into the dating pool. One thing I’ve noticed that’s been bugging me, though, is that my friends are super harsh when they have a bad date. They’ll be mad that they wasted time on a dud and really negative about the whole experience. Here’s the thing…I actually don’t think there’s such a thing as a bad date. There’s always something positive to take away. If you don’t believe me, think about these three things.
You learned something
A bad date is not a total wash because you’ll learn something. Sometimes the guy you’re out with will actually be kinda interesting, even if he’s not a love connection. If he’s a total snooze and doesn’t have cool hobbies or a fascinating job to talk about, that’s fine, too. You can learn about yourself or dating in general. You’ll learn more about how you handle less-than-pleasant social situations and you can retrace your steps and see where you went wrong in agreeing to this date. For example, maybe looking back, there are some red flags in his dating profile that now you know you need to be on high alert for with future guys. Any time you learn something, it’s not a total waste!
You have a good story
When you’re happily married to a stellar man (and I know you will be in the very near future), you’re going to look back on your single days and laugh at all of the bad dates you had. You’re going to love these bad dating stories and I’m sure they’ll make your husband laugh. So, collect them while you can! Anything that gives you a good story to tell for years and years isn’t a totally bad experience.
You’re one step closer
Speaking of your husband, every bad date means that you’re one step closer to meeting him. I fully believe that we’re all on paths toward our goals and every single thing that happens as we try to achieve those goals is a step toward getting them done. Even if something feels like a step backwards, it’s actually a step forward on your path and you had to take that false step to get closer to the final goal. So, that one bad date is bringing you closer to meeting your perfect guy.
I’ve made all of my friends try to be a bit more positive about their bad dates. Think that’s something you could resolve to do, too?
