Need Help With Love?

We all want to fall in love and find someone who will be our friend, lover, and helper in life. But finding that person is much easier said than done. Even after finding your soul mate, there can be bumps along the way. Love is never easy, and everyone needs a little help now and then. But where do you turn when you need help with love?

Most people turn to their friends for help with love. Friends, especially close friends, can provide an outside look at our relationship. Sometimes they see what’s wrong when we can’t because we’re too close to the situation. Even when they don’t do this, friends can provide insight into relationships and advice based on their own experiences. And if all else fails, they’re a shoulder to cry on (or eat ice cream with).

Family, especially our parents, is also fairly experienced with love and can hand out advice as needed. They have years of experience dealing with love and relationships, and again, they often have an outside view on things that we simply can’t get.

But both friends and family are going to be somewhat biased, and we often need an outside view. Outsiders can give us a help with love by giving us the flat out truth, whether or not we want it. But where can we find someone who is truly unbiased? It’s very difficult. Some people turn to co-workers, but it can be uncomfortable discussing something as personal as your love life with them. Others turn to books on relationships. The problem here is that while these books can help us with love, they’re also written for a wide audience. Often, your specific circumstances don’t quite fit with anything in the books.

So you need a personal touch. Where can you find it? In some areas, there are radio shows that take calls and give out advice. However, even if you use a different name, your voice and your problems are going out to everyone listening. That may not be exactly what you want! In that case, you can write in to columns like Dear Abby. Unfortunately, she gets a lot of letters every day, and it may take her weeks or even months to get around to giving you some love advice! That’s no good, either.

So where can you turn for an unbiased opinion that’s also personal? It’s difficult to find good love advice these days! There are some places, however. Some people feel comfortable talking about such things with their hairdressers. Others might decide to chat up random people on the subway or the bus (which may not be fun for you if you’re one of these random people!). If you’re ordering flowers, maybe your florist has some good romance tips.

Love advice can come from many different places, but it’s always best when it comes from someone with good intentions. Strangers might not always have your best interests at heart—they may just want to get on with their day! While friends and family might always take your side and self-help books don’t always apply, a balance of both may be the best thing there is. Of course, your gut can give you good love advice, too—if the relationship feel right (or wrong), follow up on these instincts.

And always listen to your florist! :)