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Category Archives: Relationships
I tried to get a date using augmented reality
Today, nearly half of us know someone who uses a dating app, but most apps restrict us to virtual exchanges. AR, however, pushes us towards real-time, real-life interactions, while eliminating the embarrassing bit of real-life meetings: making an approach without knowing whether the other person likes you. This app matches you virtually first – then you decide whether to say hello. It’s only a few months old, but its international user base already stands at around 5,000 worldwide, 10% of whom are in London, according to the app itself.
Some LA streets aren't being repaved because of a law dating from the Depression
In some instances, city records indicate, private or homeowner groups agreed to maintain the withdrawn streets instead — and some were gated off entirely. But in Woodland Hills, many withdrawn streets seem just like other roads in the rolling hillsides, lined with houses and regularly traveled by motorists, and no one else has taken over their upkeep.
The Taylor Swift Effect: How She Helped Opening Acts Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran Become …
Taylor Swift‘s Reputation tour kicks off tonight in Arizona!
The 28-year-old singer is set to take the stage in just a couple of hours, following opening acts Charli XCX and Camila Cabello.
Over the years, Swift has selected performers like Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes to open up for her on tour. After touring with Swift, these artists have gone on to achieve major success in the industry, scoring hit after hit and selling out tours of their own.
In celebration of Swift’s opening night, let’s take a look back at how the singer has helped her opening acts become superstars.
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Ed Sheeran: Sheeran opened for Swift during her Red tour in 2013. While the singer was known in the U.K., he was still gaining popularity in the U.S. when he joined Swift’s tour. This move helped Sheeran earn recognition with the U.S. crowds and audiences became more familiar with his songs. The duo also collaborated on the song “Everything Has Changed,” which they performed together on the tour.
In 2014, Sheeran said in an interview with Nightline, “The same thing Taylor said to me was the same thing Pharrell said, same thing Chris Martin said, is just the same thing: Constant humility, constant evolution and be a sponge, soak up your influences.”
Since touring with Swift, Sheeran’s career has skyrocketed. In addition to his songs reaching the top of the charts around the world, Sheeran has also won four Grammys and is now headlining his own tours.
The duo surprised fans this past November when their latest collaboration “End Game,” which also features Future, was released. We then saw the duo perform the song together multiple times in December. So maybe this means we’ll see Sheeran pop up on her tour this summer!
Shawn Mendes: Mendes opened up for Swift for a month during her 1989 tour. During that time, the “Treat You Better” singer learned a lot from Swift.
He recently shared with Zane Lowe the best piece of advice he received from the “Delicate” singer. Before playing a show in his hometown of Toronto, Mendes confessed to Swift that he was nervous.
“She goes, ‘Just remember that everyone came here to have fun. ‘This isn’t like The Voice, no one’s here judging you and rating you out of 10,'” Mendes recalled. “Sometimes it’s the simplest thing to change an entire mindset and I remember the second she said that, that was the best show of the whole tour.'”
Mendes continued, “I take that with me no matter what I’m doing, whether it’s an interview or whether it’s a performance or anything.”
Swift has been touring and performing for over 10 years, so her seasoned knowledge helps artists who are earlier on in their careers to calm their nerves. Since going on tour with Swift, Mendes’ star has continued to rise. His fans went crazy for his latest song “In My Blood,” which reached the top spot on the iTunes charts.
Camila Cabello: Swift has been friends with Cabello for years, which is why fans of the singers are so excited to see them on the road together. With Cabello being a bit younger than Swift, there’s a lot she can learn from her as a mentor, even though Cabello has already had several hits of her own.
Cabello has previously opened up about getting dating advice from Swift, but now that they’re going on tour together, Swift might be able to share some professional advice as well. While Cabello has performed on some of the world’s largest stages with her former girl group Fifth Harmony, she’s now learning to command the stage as a solo performer, something Swift has mastered.
So while on the Reputation tour, Cabello and Charli have a front row seat every night to one of the world’s most dynamic performers. That’s a pretty great place to learn!
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How To Figure Out What You Want In A Relationship (So You Can Attract The Right Guy)
Try this dating exercise that will help you find love.
“Why can’t I find someone?”
“Why do I keep dating the wrong person?”
“Why can’t I get beyond one or two dates?”
I hear these questions often from single women. Interestingly, the dating advice I frequently hear and read as a response, tells people to make lists about what they truly want in a relationship and/or partner.
I myself give that advice to some of my clients; it is a good start for a single woman dating in this harsh dating world. However, it is just a start.
The other less advertised and more difficult piece is about you — not what you want, but what you bring and, dare I say, don’t bring to the table.
This exercise is good to do with a really close friend and confidant who can assist you with getting really honest when it comes to learning how to attract a guy.
Start with a list of what you bring to a relationship.
What do you offer? You can start with generalities, personable, fun, athletic, but then dig deeper and get specific.
This is where your friends can be helpful. What was it about you that attracted them? What about you keeps them in a relationship with you?
The next part is the hard part and you should be in a good frame of mind. Be willing to be open to feedback and be honest: What do you NOT bring to a relationship?
Start the list with fun generalities. For example:
- “I do not bring any love of camping or antiques.”
- “I am 5 foot 5 inches and brunette. I do not bring height or blonde hair to the relationship.”
Then dig deeper. What was your part in why past relationships did not work out? What are some things about you that you know you would like to change? For example, do you have a temper? Are you too needy? Do you have an unhealthy lifestyle?
Your list might look something like the following.
Things I do not bring to the table but I am OK with:
- “I do not bring height.”
- “I do not bring a love of camping.”
- “I do not bring blonde hair.”
- “I do not bring a love of old cars.”
Things I do not bring to the table and would like to work on:
- “I do not bring emotional stability, because I have a short temper. I would like to work on changing that by seeing a therapist, doing a guided meditation, taking anger management classes.”
- “I am not good at dating because I attach too quickly. I would like to change that by enlisting my dating buddy/good friend to ground me and call me out when I start talking about or obsessing about long-term possibilities after the first initial dates.
- “I do not bring a healthy lifestyle because I drink too much and I do not work out. I would like to change that by reducing my alcohol consumption to one day a week/one drink and begin to exercise by walking 3 times a week/going to the gym 4 days a week.”
Always define why you don’t bring something to the table and take the opportunity to get specific on what you are going to do to work on it.
Compare your lists of what you bring, do not bring, and are willing to work on to your lists of wants in a relationship/partner. How do they measure up with each other? More importantly, how do you measure up against your own wants of someone else?
And this exercise is not just for singles; it works for couples as well!
Sarah Stewart is an author, personal development and relationship coach, and a social worker. To learn more, visit her website.
This article was originally published at lifeachievementcoach.com. Reprinted with permission from the author.
