Well it may be a strange thing to say but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE BEING SINGLE. I’m not the type of girl to randomly hook up with guys so it’s not a fear of being “tied” down in a relationship and wanting to see multiple guys. Nor is it to have the freedom to do whatever I want, when I want. While yes I love not having to figure out fun dates to go on or thinking if my outfit looks cute enough, its more about not settling.

I’ll be honest, I’ve settled plenty of times before. And quite frankly it just has never worked out. Some of the guys have been complete jerks and others have been awesome guys, just not right for me. Luckily, I’ve never been one to jump into a dating relationship but I still was willing to give this subpar guys my time and emotions. It wasn’t until I met one of my best friends, freshman year that I really learned the true meaning of not settling. She has a set of standards and isn’t willing to waver from them. Now I want it to be clear that when I say standards, I do not at all mean it in a negative way. I’m not referring to a laundry list of things that need to checked off. All standards mean is that you know what you’re looking for and aren’t afraid to turn a guy down if he just isn’t right for you. A lot of this comes from trusting your gut feeling. If the spark just isn’t there or something feels off, don’t settle!

Now there’s most definitely going to be relationships in which the guy seems like a perfect fit for you, yet it still doesn’t work out. This does not at all mean that you settled and shame on you. There are going to be relationships that you were meant to be in to learn something from. I believe that any relationship whether it works out or not, should always teach you something.

Relationships are a lot of work, especially at the age we are at right now. This is the time of our lives in which everything seems to be happening. Many changes are being made, new experiences are had and our goals in life seem to become a little clearer; so why waste time on someone who isn’t enhancing your life? While a relationship is a lot of work, it shouldn’t be the dramatic break-ups and fights like we see in movies. So don’t lower your standards for a guy that is just going to bring you down. Be with someone who makes your day a little brighter when you’ve had a rough day at work or a tough test.

There’s a Prince Charming out there for everyone, you might not have met him yet but he’s out there. I don’t necessarily believe in one true loves, but I do believe that there is someone in the world that is perfect for me. I’m not afraid to hold onto my standards until I find a guy who challenges me, makes me laugh and wants the same things out of life as me, and you shouldn’t be scared to either.