The willingness to consider new ideas and try new activities is one of the most important aspect in dating today. Being receptive to others is essential to meeting your match.
An open mind is also accepting people for who they are. Just like you, people have many qualities and certain aspects that they still need to improve. Answering the fundamental questions for dating and working on delivering an elite first impression, which were outlined in our previous blog posts; 5 Elite Fundamentals for Having the Best Dating Experience and 6 Elite First Impression Tips for Speed Dating, will help you determine your core values and keep in mind that the person you are meeting is also nervous and not perfect.
Be honest and true to yourself, you are already on the right path of open mindedness by putting yourself out and choosing to date. Therefore, instead of dismissing the other person for what might be oversights, or things they need to work on, you can highlight the good behaviors and actively participate on how your date with this other person is progressing.
For example, if you are a person that is sensitive to smell and notice that the person is wearing a very strong perfume or cologne, you can position yourself in a way for the smell to be less intrusive, suggest continuing your date while taking a walk or moving to a better ventilated area .
Another example could be that you notice that the person has something green stuck between their teeth. A polite, respectful and discreet mention that there is something between their teeth might solve the issue.
Finding alternatives and offering suggestions is a good way to see how the person reacts to certain situations. This way you can focus on being a good active listeners, enjoying the interesting conversation, and appreciating well placed compliments.
Lastly, tempering your expectations on when and how you are going to meet the right person for you, is another aspect that will keep you to maintain an open mind. A yoga class, a book club, a cooking class, or an elite speed dating events are all places you may meet your match. Be receptive to the good vibes and efforts that others are putting forward. Mr. or Ms. Right might not be perfect and may show up when you least expect it, but he or she will be perfect for you.
~Fritz-Gerald Morisseau
Founder, President and CEO of Elite Speed Dating