Is your relationship in a rut or getting stale? Need something to spice it up? Plan a romantic rendezvous. Add excitement by making the encounter something you wouldn't normally do or someplace you wouldn't normally go. It doesn't necessarily have to be spontaneous. A planned encounter can be just as exciting.

A romantic relationship is an emotionally intimate bond between two people. Such a relationship is best when it is with someone who knows you, understands you, and accepts you. It is enhanced through talking intimately about feelings, thoughts, and needs.

Physical Attraction - happens when your body reacts to another person. Heart rate increases; temperature rises, palms get sweaty; stomach flutters; throat tightens; etc. This is the most superficial of "loves" on one level, but one of the most powerful on another. It represents the first contact.

Every week I receive lots of letters from women complaining that their boyfriends or husbands are engaged in a little online lust-fest. Is cybersex really cheating? Does it mean he loves me less? Is looking at porn on the Internet as bad as flirting with someone anonymously in a chat room?

Every week I get about 50 letters from women and men who want to know if they should stay with someone who has cheated on them. Nearly always, the letter is peppered with reasons why the cheater might have been compelled to cheat, and sometimes even includes rationale why it never would have happened had it not been for the evil home-wrecker who hypnotized the poor, innocent, cheater and forced them into actions against his/her will. The request for help is usually fairly evenly divided between "what should I do?" and "how can I make it stop?"

"I love you; you love me; we're a happy family .." Do you remember that song from childhood? You may even recognize it as the popular song Barney sings. Through music we explore and learn about myths, ideals, and the parameters of love.

Anyone who's ever had a brush with the thing called love knows that this feeling so desired is also tough to pin down. There are so many kinds. We've got lusty love, companionate love, fraternal love, the kind of love you have for your grandparents, thrilling love, young love, self love, and love mixed in with a lot of pain-and many more. How can we survive a relationship with all these different forms of love floating around? If you can't survive the change, you'd better learn, since relationships are filled with love that's ever-changing.

One of the most enjoyable parts of having a relationship is being able to fulfill your romantic fantasies. You know, the one about being swept off your feet by a knight in shining armor or rescuing the damsel in distress?

What's a reliable way to know if someone's right for you? There isn't one. How do you know for sure if you're ready to settle down? Who knows? Believe me, I've been trying to figure out these issues for myself for some time now, and it is difficult.

For example: a woman receives one long-stemmed rose. Romantic? One woman will be thrilled, thinking it a wonderful and tender gesture. Another woman will think it's cheap, and she should have gotten a dozen of them if the man was really serious.