They say love is sweeter the second time around. But when the first is actually more of a breakup or a divorce, can you really look forward to a second chance at love?

Being a 2nd-time singleton shortly after you have become a divorcee could be anything but exciting if you haven’t been in the dating circle for a long time. And there are reasons for the anxiety. Dating today is a totally different thing from the dating that you knew. But don’t be disheartened. A woman as charming as you won’t wait long until you find true love — again.

The most important No-No the moment you decide to be available again is to NEVER compare your dates to your ex. Although it is natural to make a mental comparison, using your ex as a standard for your future partner is a very unfair thing, not to mention very foolish. Whether you seek your ex’s good attitudes in your present dates or you immediately spot the same uncanny bad character flaw, comparing the ex and the present prospect is a plain dead end. The wise thing to do is to find a guy whom you like as he is, so there will never be a point of comparison.

Don’t look back. Forgetting an ex means forgetting an ex, and not reminiscing good memories. Remind yourself that ex means past. If time and again you look back, you will never fully see what’s before you. Decide once and for all if there’s a point in holding on and hope for a reunion, or if you need something more than what you had and be happy about your new-found freedom.