Advice: Too Scared to Date

I've come to a point where I'm afraid to date. It's like a phobia. I want to get over it. What advice do you have?

Take a deep breath and listen hard: We're all quivering masses of uncertainty.

We're all afraid of rejection. Gird yourself for it -- and plunge ahead anyway. You'll like yourself better for mustering courage -- and so will everyone else. You should know that even the best of people experience rejection. The difference is, they don't take it too personally; they pick themselves up, dust themselves off and have another go at it. Best if you join groups and hang around with people based on interests that you share, say a cooking class, a book group, a ski club. That makes meeting people more natural. If you actively engage in activities you enjoy, you're bound to come across other interesting people while you're also having a good time.