Could Cupid Win The Next Primary?

Cupid may be popular in some circles, but in others, he'd wouldn't do much better tha
Giuliani in New Hampshire. Most singles today are content with their solo-status and feel it's not worth the trouble to look for love. According to a study conducted by AARP among people 40-70, only 16% are willing to do anything to find love. That's why Cupid couldn't garner enough votes to win a primary. It's seems this ikon of romance no longer stands for what the people want.

But wait a minute – is that really true?

AOL just released a survey about love on January 2nd that showed 66% of people 40-49 believe they can have more than one soul mate in a life time and for respondents 50-69, that belief rose to a whopping 72%! So, if people assume more than one perfect love is possible, how come so few want to take steps to find it? Have boomer singles gotten lazy, disenchanted, or simply dropped romance as a priority because the adult dating game is too confusing?

Regardless of what may hold people back from looking for love, here are four savvy strategies for finding love this Valentine's season.

1) Get Out There!
Dating has become big business because there are so many adult singles. That means there are lots of ways to meet new people! To increase your chances of finding the right date for you, try a mix of events like dances, speed dating, and meetup.com groups. Look in your local paper, your town's online calendar, on craigslist.com and meetup.com.

2) Enlist Your Network
Don't hide the fact that you'd like to find a relationship – tell your friends and family! You might even share your desire with a few trusted colleagues. Your personal network is one of your best resources for drumming up blind dates, so allow those close to you to help with your search.

3) Smile and Be Friendly
It's hard to imagine having to dole out this advice, but many people have become far less social. If you find that your guard is up when you are walking out doors or entering a store, you might want to consider starting a new practice. Try smiling at people. You don't have to marry anyone you smile at – it's not a commitment. But showing those pearly whites makes others feel good and that will ripple into lifting your spirits as well. When you smile, you are much more attractive and that's what you want.

4) Relax and Enjoy
Meeting new people can actually be fun! If you take the pressure off and just enjoy getting to know folks, you will undoubtedly encounter some very interesting prospects. As boomers, you don't have to worry if a potential partner will be good for raising a family, so you can relax some criteria from your youth that no longer applies.

The desire for love and companionship is a basic human need. But romance doesn’t often just happen spontaneously – you'll have to put a bit of effort in. It's worth it – none of my happy clients have ever say to me – "Wow all the time I spent looking for my partner was such a waste." Make finding love a priority today.