I don’t need a boyfriend. Just let that statement sink in. Here, I’ll say it again for the people in the back: I don’t need a boyfriend. Would I like a boyfriend? Maybe, if I meet someone worth dating, but those are the key words here: someone worth dating. I refuse to lower my standards just because I get lonely, sometimes. I don’t believe in settling for less than what you want or deserve. Having high expectations when it comes to relationships and dating has become a negative concept for no good reason. You have high expectations for your future significant other? Good, you should. Knowing your worth and holding people accountable to that is so important. The standards you have for yourself should be unanimous with the standards you have for the way other people treat you.

It really irks me when people assume that since I don’t have a boyfriend, I must have low self-esteem, no self-confidence, and think there’s something wrong with me. “Aw, you don’t have a boyfriend? But you’re so pretty! You deserve a boyfriend.” Excuse me? Don’t pity me just because I’m not currently dating someone. Don’t assume I need you to reassure me that I’m pretty. I know there’s nothing wrong with me. I don’t hate myself. I don’t wake up every morning upset that I’m single because I have self-worth and don’t rely on a man to make me feel good about myself. No one should, whether they're single or in a relationship. The most important person in your life should always be you. Put yourself first; I can’t stress that enough. When you learn to love yourself, it will make it 10x easier for someone else to love you. Not only that but it will make it 1,000 times easier to see who deserves to be in your life and who does not.

An insecure person will put everything into one person, and without them, they feel worthless. They feed off of compliments and need constant reassurance. Nothing about these feelings are healthy. It’s okay to admit that you like being complimented-- who doesn’t? But there’s a fine line between appreciating people’s thoughts about you and relying on other people’s opinions to measure your self-worth. It’s not necessarily your fault for feeling that way, but it is your responsibility to realize that it isn’t healthy and decide to make a change. You owe it to yourself to be happy.

Relationships are wonderful, having a boyfriend is fun, and being in love is great, but being single is, too. As Oscar Wilde said, “To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.”