Dear Boys,

This is my goodbye letter to you. No, the goodbye isn’t permanent, but it will be for a while. Think of this as a “see you later,” or an “until next time.”

It’s not that I don’t want you around, and it’s not like I’m going to disappear. I’m sure I’ll see you here and there, and I’ll be here if you need a friend or someone to talk to.

But for now, I’m unavailable. My heart is under lock and key, and it’s heavily guarded.

Because frankly, I’m tired of putting up with all your games, shenanigans, lies and bad intentions. I’m no longer going to stick around and let you drag me through the mud.

Mom and Dad always taught me that I need to wait for what I deserve; I should never settle for anything and never allow anyone to make me question my value. And when I was younger, this was very easy. But I’m older now and like all things, this is easier said than done.

It’s hard to be confident when the guy you’re crazy about treats you like you’re nothing and makes you feel so small. It’s hard to see how worthy you are when the guy you want to be with is playing games with your head and making you feel undesirable. Throw in a crooked smile, irresistible eyes and a little charm, and it’s almost impossible to question the way they make you feel—it almost feels as if they can do no wrong. But from now on, I’m promising myself that I’m going to question the way they make me feel, and I'm going to do it often.

I’m a trusting person: I want to find the best in people, and whatever they’re going to say, I’m going to believe they’re telling the truth. Pair this tendency of mine with a hopeless romantic heart and a longing to love, and I’ve got myself a recipe for heartbreak and disappointment. Some may see it as naive, but I see it as open and genuine. I know I feel and love with all my heart, and that makes me prone to getting hurt and being vulnerable. But I am not the problem; I am not going to blame myself like I usually do for having too high of standards or for not being good enough. Boys, I'm finally standing up for myself, and this one’s on you.

And the bottom line is you’re going to have to be better.

I’ve seen it all: guys who know just what to say to get a girl to fall for them, who play games and are unfaithful to girls other guys would love to be with. I’ve seen guys who have just one thing on their mind, and who say one thing and completely do another. I’ve known guys who want to take everything and contribute nothing, and I know guys who lead girls on just to leave them in the dust when something else comes along. I’ve known guys who have seemed perfect and kind and warm who turn out to be some of the coldest people I've ever known—and I’m done wasting my time on these guys. I’m no longer lowering my standards so people can meet them; I’m looking for the guys who are willing to rise up to them.

So boys, here is my parting message to you:

If you’re the kind of guy who is going to walk out of my life at any minute, I’ll gladly hold the door open for you. I’m done trying to hold on to people who have no problem letting their loved ones go. I want to surround myself with people who don't think love is everything, but the only thing. If you don’t want to be here, just say the words and I’ll set both of us free. Because even though your ego may not like to hear this, I can survive just fine without you.

If you’re the kind who’s going to play hard to get and who wants me to chase him, I’m done doing that too. The guy that I like should be there to brighten my day and let me know he’s there for me; he shouldn’t be the one who torments me and leaves me alone when I’m struggling. He should be the one reassuring me that I'm the one he wants, no matter how many other girls want him. If you’re going to act like you’re too cool to respond to me or like you have a million other girls who want you, I’ll make it easy on you: go be with them, and I’ll wait for someone else. Because the guy I’m looking for is a gentleman, and he’d never make his woman run after him in heels.

If you’re going to go with the no-strings-attached method, I’m not the girl for you. If you can be there to kiss me and hold me all night, you can be there when I’m having a bad day or when I need someone to tell me it’s going to be OK. If you aren’t ready to commit to that, I’m not going to commit to spending time with you or commit my heart to you. I’m not going to settle for every once in a while or sometimes; I’m looking for an always.

If you’re the guy that’s going to play mind games with me, I’m going to call it game over. If you’re going to make me question whether or not there’s another girl, I’m going to find another guy. Because as I’ve learned, for every guy that’s willing to treat you wrong, there are 10 others who would love to treat you right; you just have to be brave and let them.

If you’re going to forget what you have, I’m going to forget what we had. If you’re going to quit appreciating me, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call me again. I need the guy I’m with to know what he has when he has me, because I’m never going to let him forget that I know what I have when I have him.

So until you’re willing to step up to the plate and be a gentleman, boys, this is goodbye, ta ta for now. I'm disappointed that I used to let boys tell me how much I’m worth, but it’s something I will never do again. My friends and I are awesome and worthy and desirable, and I know the right guys are going to see that. Women are beautiful, strong and amazing, and I’m only going to give men who know this the time of day. Gone are the days when I cry over silly boys who don’t know what they’re missing. Maybe one day they’ll figure it out, but by then, it will be too late—I will be happy with a man who thinks the world of me and who would never want to do anything to break my heart. Until I find him, I’m going to love myself, chase my dreams and love my friends, family and appreciate my dog. Because so far, no guy in the world has even come close to being as cute, lovable and as loyal as my puppy. If I can find a guy who's even comparable to her, I'm all his.

But to those guys who are great and wonderful and just haven’t found their girl yet—don’t worry, I’ve seen you and I’ve noticed you. I see how amazing and rare you are, and I know that your woman is just waiting and praying for the day she finds you. She's going to be thrilled that she finally gets to appreciate you and make you happy, the way you're going to appreciate her and make her happy.

So call me a loner, or impossible, one with too high of standards or alone, but I’m never going to be lonely. Because it’s better to be alone than in bad company, and good company is something I’m more than willing to wait for.