I’ve had one boyfriend in my nineteen and a half years, and that lasted for a year and half. I was pretty good at being in a relationship, but something I am even better at is being single (I have been perfecting the art for eighteen years).

I must warn you, a lot of what I’m about to say, your parents would most likely say too, which means maybe there’s some merit there...because Lord knows, parents actually do know what they're talking about. Me—on the other hand—that’s another story.

For starters, being single is not the end of the world. It just isn't. I mean, really, it isn't. If it feels like it is, you're approaching the situation too negatively. In reality, being single is an opportunity to find yourself—and I know that’s oldest cliché in the book, but it's true. While each stage of life is incredibly precious and irreplaceable, when you are single it is especially so. This is because it will likely be one of the only times in your life that you will be able to truly put yourself first.

Being single doesn't mean that you're alone. Spending time alone is a choice, not a state of being. It is a choice you happen to have every right to make, and there is nothing wrong with choosing to do so.

As it turns out, when you put things out into the universe, they sometimes return to you—especially when you are least expecting it. Allowing yourself to let new opportunities and challenges into your life is important because these things will help you to grow as a person. Keeping yourself open to life's possibilities will allow you to become more content with yourself—which is hard to do when you’re in a committed relationship. Being content does not mean that you are settled in your ways and are going to be #foreveralone. I argue that contentment is a state of being in which you can accept whatever life brings your way, and still be a happy person in the end. I think this comes with the ability to be open to change. Not all change is bad. Let things go, and trust they will work out the way they are meant to.

The best advice I can give to you is to be yourself in every facet of life, or to at least allow yourself to begin the journey of finding who that person is. Track down the most authentic [insert your name here] because there you will find truest version of yourself. Only you can take yourself to your greatest limits. You will never know if the unattainable is truly unattainable, unless you try to attain the unattainable (now say that five times fast).

I don't know if I'm quite ready to give up my freedom yet because, right now, I am still figuring out things for myself. Bringing another person into the mix might just be too much for me to handle, but I'm open to whatever life has in store for me. Above all, one thing I can tell you I've learned from my time spent as a single lady, is that it's okay to lean in a little. Turn to family and friends because they support you and love you, even though you're still learning to love yourself.