I can still hear my father’s voice as he tapped into his inner Mr. Miyagi, while grooming me into the karate kid that I am today. I appreciated that valuable life lesson, as it’s served me well along the way—particularly as I navigate the sometimes rocky terrain of the entertainment industry.

And while I do my best to never offer an undeserved apology, I’ve come to realize that there is, in fact, one time when you may have to apologize even when you’ve done nothing wrong…

In a relationship.

You see, during the course of a relationship, you may be forced to occasionally back off of your principles, swallow your pride and say I’m sorry—even when you’re right.

Why?

Because relationships aren’t strictly viewed through a black and white lens. No, there are bits of gray, hints of lavender, and even a speck or two of periwinkle mixed in there for good measure. In layman’s terms, it means that arguments and hurt feelings are often more complicated than the primary issue at hand. For example:

Is it really worth the energy to argue that she overreacted when you left the toilet seat up? Probably not.

And should you really be fighting just because you refused to join in her belief that her coworker is out to get her? I say no.

In the grand scheme of things, your apology for the “disagreement” will be worth more than you arguing a position in a pointless conversation.

So as much as it hurts me to say, my dad wasn’t completely right … sometimes an undeserved apology is just what the doctor ordered to preserve the sanity of your relationship.

Fly Guy Disclaimer: Now this should only be applied to frivolous arguments. Your apology for “making them cheat on you” does not qualify. Understood?

And if don’t know what to specifically apologize for, then you can always employ the strategy of this hilarious video where men apologize to women for EVERYTHING.

Check it out.

**I thoroughly enjoyed reading this list, so I though I’d share it with you. Take note, and if you are currently suffering from any of these mental barriers, it’s time you let them go.

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1. Let go of attachments: According to Buddhist Philosophy, attachment is one of the roots of all suffering. I can’t agree more. We attach ourselves to all sorts of things even the most self-slapping stupid notions in the universe. Are you attached to something? How much are you attached? Is it keeping you back from something? Is it making you suffer? Look at it straight through – break the illusion. Know that every attachment can be detached.

2. Let go of guilt: Guilt has absolutely no function whatsoever. Think about it – what could guilt possibly resolve? It just holds you imprisoned to self-mortification and sorrow.

3. Let go of Negative thinking: Pessimistic thoughts and negative attitudes keep you locked in a dark aura that permeates in everything you do. It’s a dangerous line to follow. Know that thoughts influence the world around us. Enough said

4. Let go of self-criticism: Many times we are our biggest pain in the neck. We criticize ourselves with the best of intentions but then go over the acceptable limit. Criticism then turns to disempowering messages. Let go of it and be kind and gentle to yourself.

5. Let go of prejudice: Prejudice keeps you bitter and resentful. It restricts your opportunities to connect meaningfully with others.

6. Let go of compulsive thinking: Do you keep on doing something just because you feel you have to do it without any apparent reason? It’s time to honestly reflect on its usefulness and its side-effects.

7. Let go of the need for others’ approval: We often tend to seek approval by others. This is an attention-seeking behaviour and one which threatens our self-confidence and authenticity.

8. Let go of limiting beliefs: Most of our limits are self-imposed. Life doesn’t have defined limits. Our beliefs do. Learn to identify those beliefs which narrow down your possibilities for action and let go of them.

9. Let go of grudges: Let me put it this way – grudges are bad for your heart. Keep them long enough or numerous enough and your health will eventually suffer. Research is showing the relationship between heart disease and emotions such as anger and grudges.

10. Let go of the “I’ll do it tomorrow” attitude: This is a delaying tactic of your subconscious saboteur trying to keep you from accomplishing important tasks. Try to be aware of it when you think it and consciously push yourself to do at least the first part of it. Naturally you will then continue the whole task because the hard part is only the beginning.

11. Let go of anxious thoughts: These are born out of our fear of the unknown and uncertainty about the future. The thought that something unpleasant may happen is only an unreal thought we have created ourselves. Ask yourself: “Is this thought based on real evidence?”

12. Let go of past heartbreaks: A heartbreak can take quite a long time to heal. Your heart is locked as your mind keeps on hovering over the same thought. The thing to realize is that in heartbreaks it is not the loss that make you suffer but the idea you create in your heads about that loss.

13. Let go of bad memories: Sometimes we remember unpleasant things that stir up some sad feelings in us. Bad memories make you relive those sad moments in the present. Keep them where they are – in the past.

14. Let go of useless things: We also attach ourselves to things of all sort. Sometimes we clutter our life with useless objects. Let go of them and simplify your working and living environment.

15. Let go of bad company: If there are people around you that are insincere, harbour envy, are highly pessimistic or disempowering, keep away from them.

16. Let go of the idea that you are a product of your past: One very common mistake we fall into is the belief that we are determined by our past experiences. This limits our view on future possibilities since we are stuck in believing that the future can only be more of the same as our past.

17. Let go of identifying yourself with your job/role: This is one of the risks of modern day life. Since roles are always becoming more specialized we think that we are part of our roles. This makes us lose perspective of our true nature.

18. Let go of counterproductive habits: These are the repetitive patterns of behavior that obstruct or distract you from constructive and productive behavior. They can be anything from watching too much TV and overeating to self-destructive behavior such as drug abuse.

19. Let go of taking things too personally: Very often we are disturbed emotionally because we interpret people’s words and actions from a very subjective perspective. When we take things personally we get irritated, hurt and disappointed. When you look at life from a more detached and objective point of view, we stay emotionally balanced and focused on our priorities.

20. Let go of the ticking clock: Time is one of our biggest sources of stress. Well, not time really but our perception of it. Sometimes we are enslaved by the concept of time even in our moments of leisure. This has devoured a lot of our genuine freedom and space. Learning to spend moments without the constant awareness of time can be liberating and finally productive.

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I’ve always been a big believer in family. So much so, that a large majority of the people that I consider to be friends are related to me. Apparently, Prince Harry thinks the world of his family as well since he now dates his cousin …yeah, that wasn’t a typo. Check out the news report below.

After generations of inbreeding, Britain’s Royal Family appears to finally be getting serious about adding photogenic depth to the family gene pool.

Prince Harry’s new GF looks familiar to those who pay attention to ads.

Curiously, Prince Harry is taking a stab at it by dating his lingerie-modeling cousin.

Fortunately for any pending mingling of chromosomes, she’s a distant cousin — eight times removed, according to The Telegraph.

Florence Brudenell-Bruce, a blonde like the prince’s mother, will give future queen Kate Middleton a run for her money in the looks department. The British media is already following her every move — one headline alerted the world the young lady wore THREE outfits in one day. And her face appears on a curling iron box.

According to people who keep up with such things, Brudenell-Bruce is a descendant of the seventh Earl of Cardigan, Lieutenant General James Thomas Brudenell, who famously led the Charge of the Light Brigade against the Russians during the Crimean War.

Harry, 26, began dating Brudenell-Bruce, 25, after ending his relationship with Zimbabwean-born Chelsy Davy, according to The Telegraph.

Being a prince has its advantages, it seems.

So that leads me to a question for the group. How distant would your cousin have to be before you would consider dating them? Second cousin? Third cousin? Fourth? Let me know.

To be quite honest, a part of me feels like I’m selling out the brotherhood by sharing this post. Even though I have a track record that’s fair and balanced, I still don’t know about this … I feel like I’m crossing the line here.

Be that as it may, I’ve decided to throw a bone to the ladies by sharing this important piece of information.

Ladies, the next time your man asks to hang out with his boys, simply smile and repeat the following: “Sure. I hope you have fun … before you go though, make sure you fill out this document.”

At that point, you hand over this Fly Guy Date Document, so he can fully understand the expectations that you have as it pertains to his outing.

Will your man sign it? Well, I can’t make any promises … but I’m sure you’ll enjoy the look on his face when he reads it.

Have fun with this one ladies … and don’t say that I’ve never done anything for you.

I was raised to fear nothing but God … it didn’t matter what it was—man, woman, lion, bear, or J-Lo singing acapella—my mother and father instilled in me an understanding that there was nothing on this earth capable of invoking real fear within me.

And while I still carry those life lessons with me, there was one thing that managed to slip through my impenetrable fear force field. You see, as I got older and wiser in the ways of women, I learned that they use a few choice words that are capable of … well … they’re capable of inducing a considerable level of “concern” within me.

Some might label my concern as fear, but those people are dead to me now.

Anyway, I ran across this article over at Caveman Circus that accurately describes some of the most dangerously, deadly words used by women. Pay close attention … and if she uses one of these on you, then I’ll see you on the other side.

Take note … and try not to let fear get the best of you.

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1) Fine
This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2) Five Minutes
If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3) Nothing
This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

4) Go Ahead
This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It!

5) Loud Sigh
This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6) That’s Okay
This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That’s okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7) Thanks
A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you’re welcome. (I want to add in a clause here – This is true, unless she says ‘Thanks a lot’ – that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say ‘you’re welcome’ . that will bring on a ‘whatever’).

8 ) Whatever
Is a woman’s way of saying F– YOU!

9) Don’t worry about it, I got it
Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking ‘What’s wrong?’ For the woman’s response refer to #3.

It’s been a while since I’ve indulged in a one-night stand. Truth be told, when I started hearing about flesh-eating STD’s capable of devouring your entire body in 33.4 seconds, I decided to leave the one-nighters to you more adventurous types (I’m kidding, but not really.)

Just because I’m officially out of the game though, doesn’t mean I can’t still acknowledge this as a big part of some of your dating realities. In today’s dating culture, the one-night stand is about as common as Diddy hogging camera time from those two girls … wait … what are their names again?? Never mind, it’ll come to me later.

So with that understanding in mind, I decided to share some helpful tips to engage in a successful one-night stand, courtesy of the good people at ThoughtCatalog.com

Read, comment, and share … but most importantly, use the helpful tips, and remember to be safe if you find yourself in the position of getting down with a complete stranger.

Dirty Money!!! I knew it would come to me. I can’t believe I forgot about Dawn and  … dang, what’s the other girl’s name??

If you know, email that to me, and enjoy the following feature.

1. Make them feel at home!

After you finish having sex with a random person and you’re hosting, make them feel right at home by offering them a towel, a shower, or a tangerine. The person is probably silently freaking out and wondering where the hell they are so you need to reassure them that they’re in a safe place and you won’t kill them. A quick way to do this to encourage walking around in the buff. I don’t know why, but two people walking around a house naked right after having sex just seems so cute and cozy. It’s the one-night-stand equivalent of freshly baked cookies or something.

2. Spoon for a hot minute

Look, I don’t care if you’re made of stone, you need to experience a little tenderness after someone has seen your O face. This is the part where it gets confusing though, especially if you’ve just slept with a random. You pretend to be the couple who snuggles rather than the two people who happened to be wasted and fall into each other’s laps. “Oh, do we do this? Is this something that we do?” But it’s your first instinct to wrap your bodies together and get a little mushy so don’t fight it even if you can’t remember their name and, oh my god, what did you just do?! Hold me!

3. Know when to separate

This part may be even more important than the actual snuggling. Knowing when to end the spooning is crucial because if you do it for too long, things can get real weird real fast. Everything becomes too hot and all of a sudden you feel closed in. You’re looking for ways to untangle yourself but it’s proving to be difficult so you just want to scream, “Get off me! Help! Please somebody help me!” Then you hear the thing you’ve been dreading all along: Their snores. Yup, this person is asleep. You’re fucked. You sit there lying in bed thinking about what your life was like before you were spooned to death, the freedom you felt. You could walk around, dance, laugh, leave your apartment. But those days are now a faint memory because you’re trapped in the nook and unless you just push them off of you, there is no way out till the AM. In order to avoid this hellish situation from happening, just end it prematurely. Have your snuggle moment and then get the hell out. Trust me, their feelings won’t be hurt.

4. Don’t be weird in the morning

Don’t run screaming as soon as the light hits your eyes even if you are bugging out. Pretend to be a calm cool cucumber. Slide out of bed, put your clothes on and wake them gently. Tell them you had fun and kiss them! Yes, on the mouth. Just do it. It’s a sweet gesture.

5. Text them

Okay, maybe not. This is hard because if you have no interest in sleeping with someone again, sending them a text could imply otherwise. At the same time, it could make that person so happy. Maybe they were thinking of ending it all after you left but then they got the text that said, “thx for last night’ and stepped away from the ledge. I think it all depends on how thoughtful of a person you are. If you really don’t give a shit about some stranger who gave you an orgasm, then I guess you don’t have to text them anything. Or if they were really crazy and you don’t want to give them an ounce of hope, you can have your Get Out Of Text Free card.

One Man’s Confession:

I’ve been sitting here for the past few hours, stuck in this same spot, trying to arrive at an answer to this one pressing question.

Where did you come from?

And I don’t mean that in a manner that would suggest some sort of displeasure in your arrival, but really … where did you come from???

During our initial meeting, there was never any indication (from either of us) that there could be something more.

Yet, here we are…

When I look at you, I get the same type of excitement that I used to get as a child on Christmas morning. In many ways, you’re like this amazing present from God, and the kid in me just wants to rip open the package so I can explore all of your goodness.

But I’m not going to rush things.

And I’m not going to dive right in and wing it like I’ve done with so many women in the past. Instead, I’m going to take my time, read your instruction manual, and get intimately familiar with how you operate.

Why?

Because I don’t want to blow it … and I don’t want the thrill of the moment to get in the way of long-term possibilities.

As a child, there were so many toys that I grew tired of after the first few days. But that’s because I lacked the maturity or perspective to understand the value of taking my time to savor the moment.

I won’t make that same mistake with you … so let the savoring begin.

A Fly Question:
Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by a new person entering your life? When it happened, did your initial excitement get in the way, to the point where it messed up any potential relationship? Tell me about it.

It’s a beautiful day, which means it’s also a beautiful opportunity to learn more about the main thing that binds us together on this website—our desire to understand and appreciate love. To get us started on the right foot this week, I decided to compile a list of 25 interesting relationship facts aimed at enhancing your insight on how this big love mystery works.

The facts, compiled from various university studies, should provide a wealth of info to chew on this morning. So if you haven’t eaten breakfast yet, then here you go. Take a bite of this big slice…

Read, Comment, Share.

(By the way, thank you for your continued support of The Fly Guy Chronicles … I’m now doing daily updates.)

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1. Researchers at the University of Chicago found that people were twice as likely to find a date through friends and family than through the bar scene.

2. Nearly 40% of men do not feel confident meeting a woman for the first time.

3. Studies show that schools, colleges, coffee shops, and malls are all excellent places to flirt because people are more open to meeting others in these places. Poor locations are restaurants and movie theaters.

4. Studies show that before a man even speaks a word, the way he stands (whether he is slouching or not) counts for over 80% of woman’s first impression.

5. Ninety-two percent of single parents would rather date other single parents.

6. Four common date blunders include showing up late, talking about yourself too much, revealing too much about your ex, and an obvious over-eagerness.

7. Signs that a man is about to break up with a woman include that he spends less time with her, he is no longer romantic, passionate kissing turns into quick pecks (particularly no kiss during sex), he fantasizes about someone else during sex, he pats her during a hug, and he tries to start fights.

8. Over 50% of all singles in America have not had a date in more than two years.

9. Couples usually wait until six to eight dates before they are willing to enter into an exclusive relationship.

10. Approximately 48% of online daters reported that their breakups occurred via email.

11. A woman can increase the likelihood of a man approaching her if she uncrosses her arms, makes subtle eye contact, and smiles.

12. Research shows that men know they’re falling in love after just three dates, but women don’t fall in love until date 14.

13. If a woman offers to pay for everything, chances are she isn’t that into the date. There’s an unspoken understanding that a man paying for everything is a form of “copulatory gift,” which is almost universal in all animal species.

14. Beautiful women typically get more stares, winks, and harassment than average-looking women do, but they are also less likely to get asked out by average-looking men because those men tend to be intimated by them.

15. Dating specialists suggest that if a woman doesn’t return a call after two messages, she is not interested.

16. If a group of women are standing together but their eyes are wandering, they are likely to be looking for guys. If they each take a turn to break away from the group to head to the bathroom alone, they are on the prowl. If they are huddled together giggling, they are usually not interested in finding men.

17. Studies show that remembering bits of information about a person and working them into conversations not only is highly flattering but also shows interest.

18. Mirroring, or repeating someone’s body language, often impresses a date because it subtly conveys interest to the other person. One should avoid copying every move, however.

19. Studies show that men are put off by groups of loud women. If a woman wants to get a date, she should break away from a loud group to give a man a chance to approach her.

20. Typically, dating specialists suggest waiting until the third date to cook someone dinner at home.

21. “Desperate” daters are typically always available, are clingy, need constant relationship status updates, fish for compliments, drop their standards, and rationalize bad treatment.

22. On average, it takes between 12 to 14 dates before couples will trade house keys.

23. The most common time for breakups is around three to five months.

24. Humans like mystery and “the chase,” so don’t be too “available” to a date. Dating experts typically suggest not sleeping too early with a date because the longer the chase, the more likely love will blossom.

25. A man’s top dating fears include that a woman will come between him and his friends, won’t allow him free time, will turn out to be a stalker, won’t respect him, or will be too high maintenance.

Looking back over my relationship resume, I can safely say that I’ve done my fair share of things that have caused me embarrassment in the name of impressing a girl. I’ve gotten a tattoo, written an open letter to the world, publicly sang her a song, and engaged in a host of other acts that I pray my high school and college classmates never share.

But those are the types of actions that are expected when a man is smitten by a woman. As men, we do silly things such as these to get the girl … it’s as simple as that.

Apparently, Todd Blauvelt didn’t like the traditional guy methods, as he tried to impress his girlfriend and her family with something that was both stupid, and flat out illegal.

According to a state police investigator, Blauvelt, 18, told his girlfriend and her family that he had inherited a 6,000 square-foot lake house in South Bristol, a town in western New York state. A magnanimous sort, he invited the girlfriend’s family to move in with him. So they did! But they only got to stay for about an hour or so before the true owner showed up, saw all these unfamiliar people hanging out inside their vacation palace, and called police. Blauvelt was arrested and charged with second-degree burglary (a felony) and punishable false written statement (a misdemeanor); the girlfriend and her family apparently didn’t know anything about the savvy scheme, and aren’t in any trouble.

In addition to the burglary charge and the other charge, Blauvelt’s also facing charges for sexual misconduct and endangering the welfare of a child. Turns out that his girlfriend is only 15 years old. “He loves trouble I guess and I’ve been trying to steer him right for a long time,” says a lakefront property owner who knows Blauvelt and is probably no more impressed with him than his girlfriend’s family must be.

Dummy.

OK, Fly Guy family, give me your thoughts on his stunt, then tell me the wildest thing you’ve ever done to impress a woman. On the flipside, ladies give me examples of stunts that men have tried to win your heart.

Let me address this right off the bat. This post should not be seen as an indictment on your ability to effectively flirt with women. I think that we—and by we, I’m referring to myself and your close loved ones—can all agree that you are the man when it comes to wooing the ladies.

Be that as it may, even the best at their respective crafts can always use a bit of instruction every now and then. That’s why I’ve decided to share the following video, which provides helpful tips on how to flirt with women.

I’m sure you know these things already, but a little positive reinforcement wouldn’t hurt. Check out the video below.