I'm here to announce to the world that I am taken.

By what? By whom?

I am taken by myself. I am in a fully committed relationship with myself. I am 100% invested. I am all in. I am ready to take the next step forward.

In today's society, being in a relationship is necessary. We crave for love. We all want another hit. We bend over backwards just to get a taste. We would go hungry, get beaten until we're black and blue, and experience sleepless nights just to win over someone else's affection.

Being single has such a negative connotation. I have never understood it. There is power is being comfortable with your own company. There is strength in being your own person. Why expend so much energy trying to make someone happy when you should make it a priority to put your happiness above others'?

After searching and searching for "the one," I've realized that the one is right in front of me. She stares back at me in the mirror every day. She knows me better than anyone else could. She is strong. She is resilient. She deserves better treatment than what she is receiving.

I never have truly given enough effort to spend time with myself. That time is now. I'm determined to find out what I like, what I dislike. I am going to reflect on what kind of company I want to keep, my goals, and what I want most in this world. I am going to learn from my mistakes, and vow to become a better person.

Why spend time alone? Why not? There's no harm done. Nobody's going to get hurt. It's perfectly okay to say no to going out, eating a tub of Ben and Jerry's, and binge-watching Netflix on a Friday night if I so choose.

Loving yourself first is most important. Before you fall in love with someone else, you must love yourself. If you don't invest in yourself and your needs, being in a relationship would be difficult. The person asking you to pour from your cup into theirs wouldn't get any of your love because your cup is empty. Your car is low on fuel. Your heart is heavy.

These past few months have been pivotal for me. I've never felt so free. I've never felt so overjoyed. I have grown in ways that I never thought were possible. I wouldn't be in the place that I am now if I were still in a relationship. I am proud of the person I have become. The girl I was seven years ago would be proud of the progress that has been made.

I've learned the difference between healthy and toxic relationships. I've learned how I should be treated, and how to treat myself. What I expect, deserve, and need are all in the same deck of cards. I now know my worth. I now know my limits. I now know my boundaries. I now know my values.

So, what's next? I'm not sure. I'm definitely not closing the door to love forever. I know I am deserving of love. I know my person is out there. I just know that now may not be my time. It is my time to write my story before combining chapters with another person.

I am okay with this fact. I have so much of my life ahead of me. There are millions of wonderful souls I have yet to meet--so many new places to explore, and things to experience. I am ready to delve into this chapter of my life.

I am taken--taken by myself, and I am content with it.