When you get on social media, especially Facebook, it seems that the only prominent events posted are engagement announcements and wedding pictures. If you're anything like me, you've been single for a while and that's totally okay. But, when you're surrounded by romance and notifications that make you wish you had already found your special someone, it can be extremely difficult not to feel inadequate or good enough to have someone; however, that is not at all the truth. It's perfectly okay to be alone. I've never been in a true relationship, so when I say it's okay to be alone, I know exactly how it feels to be alone for a very long time. Being alone seems very sad on the outside, but while there may be some times where loneliness is evident, being alone has many benefits to it.
1. You have time to find yourself
I know this is the most cliche, and definitely the most overused line in all of history, but being alone gives you so much more perspective than you first think. Being a single college student has allowed me to focus solely on me and my future. Sure, I've had nights where I've wished I found my somebody already, but don't we all have those nights where we wish for something to already be here? Overall, being alone in a time where the world is losing itself and its identity is pretty much exactly what some of us need. We're losing ourselves in a world that is slowly becoming lost, and being alone can fix that if you allow it to.
2. You can figure out how to do things yourself
Even though I have personally never been in a relationship, I know so many people who, while they're in a relationship, don't know how to do certain things themselves because their significant other does it for them. So, when the time comes to be alone, they don't know how to do it. There is such a thing as being too dependent on someone: being codependent. Now, not all relationships are like this, but a lot of them are. Being alone, it teaches you how to do things on your own and that prepares you for so many things that come along in the future.
3. You can embrace the world in a new way
There's a new movie "How to Be Single" out that completely changed the way I viewed the word alone. The main girl, Alice, is someone who takes being alone, and while she makes mistakes along the way, she realizes that she needs to take the opportunity of being alone to do everything she ever wanted before she got into a relationship. She climbed mountains, she figured out how to finally unzip her dress by herself, and she realized that being alone allows you to embrace the world in a new way. It can be difficult to be out there in the world alone, but honestly, it's so worth it.
4. You're never actually alone
Being alone and being lonely are two completely different concepts. While I may be alone romantically, I'm never actually alone because I have a great support system of friends and family who love me and only want the best for me. Sometimes, my family wants to see me find somebody, but I know in my heart that I need to be alone for now. Being alone just opens up so many opportunities that I desperately need right now. I need that clarity, and I need that time to find out who I am as a person and a friend. So, I'm never alone. I'm surrounded by people who do life with me, and that's all I need right now.
So, while being alone may seem negative and lonely, it is filled with so much more than you can imagine. People sometimes only see the term alone as something that needs to be fixed and solved into a term that it isn't. Honestly, this way of thinking is what makes some people rush into relationships that they were never ready for in the first place. Wanting so badly to be with someone is so dangerous for your heart, and most times, you leave the relationship more damaged than you were going into it. So, embrace being alone, and know that singleness doesn't equal unhappiness. Instead, it pushes you to be who you've always wanted to be in life and it gives you the opportunity to go out there and do it.
