Love and Relationship Expert

He was 40 and you were 25 when you got married – it was all so perfect. You wed in a blaze of glory but now 40 years on, things have changed.

You love each other dearly but bridging the age gap in later years is not as easy as it was in the early days. Now you want and need different things. Your priorities have now also changed.

Are you single? Are you tired and fed up of seeing happy, couples walking around the park arm in arm. Do you feel that the world is passing you by and wish you had a girlfriend or boyfriend to share your time with?

Now, just because you are alone doesn’t necessarily mean you are lonely but there may certainly be times when you wish you could be more self-confident and self-assured and have someone by your side.

So what is getting in the way? Well, it could be that your communication skills need improving as it is difficult for you to open up conversations with people whom you meet.

With retirement being a new chapter in your life, it is important to make that change in a positive way. One issue that many people never consider when planning for their retirement is the potential stress of this lifestyle change.

Think about it! You have been planning for a restful and enjoyable retirement for many years and then when the day finally comes, it hits you that there is no need to get up in the morning to go to the office, or to complete any urgent assignment.

I know you are going to tell me that you know your partner and of course you do. However, you may not know them as well as you think you do once you start living together.

Commercial Valentine cards were introduced in the early 1800's. Today the shops are full of cards, hearts and red roses. February 14th is literally a red letter day! However not everyone will be all smiles as an estimated 190 million cards, text messages and emails are delivered around the world.

For many, Valentine's Day is a day filled with the expectation of love and romance. But for many others, it is just another day of media hype and commercialism. For some it will be a day filled with cards, chocolates, roses and words of love but for many it will be a day tinged with sadness with no red envelope dropping onto the doorstep and no warm glow of love around.

Putting on a wedding can be like a military manoeuvre. It needs to be planned with precision to ensure that all goes well on the day. Ask any married couple and they will tell you that a wedding won't all just happen around you.

You need to be in the driving seat and everyone around you needs to know what they are doing, when they are doing it and most importantly how they are going to do it. However, do be very careful to include sensitivity and thoughtfulness in with the planning. Some people can feel that they are being asked to do too much and don't want to let you down and others would love to be asked to do more and are just waiting in the wings for the nod!