I can vividly remember the acute nausea as it churned at the pit of my stomach. Was this the after effects of that macaroni surprise I cooked earlier? Or maybe this was just my body’s way of telling me that it didn’t appreciate the almost 3 minutes of “Real Chance of Love” I subjected it to while looking for the remote control. Wait, who am I kidding …

Before the weekend officially kicks off, I wanted to give the fellas a quick dating tip … no scratch that. I don’t consider this advice. It’s more like a mandate that’s been handed down for all men to follow. It reads as follows: “Stop begging a woman to go out with you.”

Name: Reina

City: New York City

Check Me Out: www.reinasong.com

My Life Goal: I just never want to be satisfied. I hope that with each accomplished goal, I have 10 more I’m striving for.

Why I’m Fly: I realized years ago that the only person authorized to rate my self-worth was me. This has granted me the freedom & courage to be without regard to another’s opinion or society’s double standards. I appreciate compliments and comments alike, but neither affect MY self-esteem. When you allow someone else to define what something is for you, you allow them to define you. I write my own definitions.

“It’s seems ironic that most of us value relationships but don’t expend the energy to invest in them fully.” ~Kerry Shook … I couldn’t have said it better myself. So when I woke up this morning and read that quote, I decided to make the extra effort to invest fully in the relationships that mean the most to me.

Woke up this morning thinking about a conversation I had yesterday. It took place on an evening flight to New York, when I happened to sit next to a woman who read my column religiously. Here’s a brief excerpt from our exchange.

Imagine you’ve met an amazing woman. You enthusiastically exchange info with her, but when you call a few days later, she doesn’t pick up or call you back. What happened? She probably did what every modern woman does: She googled you.

I’ve often wondered how far someone would go to gain forgiveness after cheating. Well, a man in Virginia tested the scope of my thinking on the subject by standing on the corner during morning rush hour with a sign that said “I cheated. This is my punishment.” His wife agreed to take him back if he wore the sign all week.

It’s time to once again honor those brave souls who have fearlessly mastered the art of self-expression, which is no easy task. It’s difficult, it leaves you feeling exposed, and there’s no true guarantee that the feelings will be reciprocated. But in spite of all of that, these people still open their hearts and pour out these wonderful expressions of love.

In a recent piece, I detailed 3 things that you should keep to yourself in the early stages of dating. After the piece was published, there seemed to be some disagreement over one of my points. Here’s what I wrote.