Anxiety - It's normal.

In our culture, it seems like people believe that anxiety needs to be eliminated. That it's a sign of weakness. Or a character defect. Or even a sign of illness.

Well, if that's true... then everyone is weak, defective and sick. Because everyone has anxiety.

And the anxiety that people feel when they're not sure how someone else will respond to their overtures? Everyone feels it. Men and women.

Heck, a look at any "single guy"/"single girl" blog will reveal tons of it. (And, thanks again to our Blog Network members for putting yourselves out there! It's good to see people taking down their shields and letting us know just how normal this anxiety is.)

The good news? There's one sure way to improve anxiety.

The bad news? It's by doing the things that make you anxious. Over and over again.

And, over time, the anxiety will improve. It doesn't go away - even the self-proclaimed "world's greatest pickup artists" still feel anxious when they approach women that they don't know. They're just used to having those feelings.

Here are a few more things that will help:

• If something's overwhelming... see if you can start smaller. I gave a good example yesterday - people who fear conversational lulls might do better if they start with neighbors than with women.
• Find people who have successfully faced their fears, and get advice. The seduction community is full of ideas for managing for every step of that anxiety-ridden mating dance we do.
• Don't obsess about being anxious. Even if she sees your anxiety, she'll respect your courage. She knows you're being genuine. And she might consider the nervousness flattering.
• Finally, be reassured - if you look too confident, you're going to get a lot of shit-testing. Let's just say that, when I show confidence in going for the kiss on the first date, I almost always get asked if I "do this with everyone I meet".

So... go ahead. Feel the anxiety. And enjoy the dating thrill-ride.