Everyone wants to love, to love something, and to be loved in return. Whether you're 14 or 94, to share love is the greatest wealth of all. We are constantly searching for someone to daydream about and for someone to fill the last thought in our heads before drifting asleep. Everyone wants a relationship like the movies and songs portray: that heart pounding, knee weakening, sweep you off your feet kind of love. Everyone longs for that goodnight and good morning text. The problem is though, no wants to love themselves enough to be alone, and yet they long for someone to love them in a way they cannot. No one ever wants to be alone so we look and look and look.

Most of the time we fall short; settling for less than the best just to fill the void. These fail, and you’re back on the hunt: "He's cute," "she's gorgeous," "he would make a great husband!" But have you ever stopped to see what life could hand you if you stopped looking under every rock for love? Stop feeling that in order to be whole, you need another half. A partner is supposed to strengthen and help you grow as a person, not infect and control you like a virus.

Words my mother always told me since the day I was born are, "you cannot love another without first loving yourself." Just because you're single doesn't mean you're alone. Find joy in friendships and love within family. Be happy with what you have. Take the time to learn about yourself and do what makes you happy! You have the rest of your like to be compromising. Want to learn yoga, do it! Go back to school? No one is stopping you! Want to dye your hair? Go ahead! Be you, learn what makes you, you! Become so distracted in loving yourself and living in the moment to make yourself happy that you forget you live in a world where marriage and children are an expectation.

I’m here to tell you stop wasting your time with “duffers," do for now, relationships. There is no reason to pour your heart and soul into something that you can’t see working in the future. Save the heartbreak and drama for someone you can’t live without, not that boy that chooses the latest pair of shoes or the weekly party over you. When you meet the one who you are meant to be with, which I promise you will, you will know. It could be in the grocery store, while you’re pumping gas, or outside of a hotel on a vacation. No one wants you to settle and be unhappy in life, so stop feeling the pressure to hurry your life up. Be the 20-something that so many young people are skipping out on. Good to the parties, go on vacations, take risks and make mistakes, but stopped looking for love. Once you have discovered yourself you will find the love you have been longing for. I promise.