1. Being eligible is the best place to be.

The "single by choice" movement is not a power move or a badge of honor. Although the internet has made its share of memes for it, choosing to be single means you are keeping your options. The best option is being open to potential possibilities, seeing where life takes you and then making the next decision that follows or has yet to present itself. You know you are worthy of a relationship, but having one is more involved than developing your personal, social, and career life.

2. Being alone and lonely are not the same.

How they got together becomes irrelevant when compared to the fact that they are together. The logical response to being alone is feeling lonely. While this is possible, it does not mean you have to feel lonely. Being by yourself is actually a positive. Expectations and goals are defined by you, falling in love and staying in love are choices made by you. You realize loving someone just to be together, possibly for the rest of your life, is not true love, but life insurance. You know yourself better than anyone else and the fact is, you are never alone if you have yourself.

3. The right person is waiting for you.

The temptation to put yourself out there and find a partner for life takes a leap of faith. You think of yourself as a romantic at heart which is a good thing. Love is a hope you can hold onto in trying times, so why not share that hope with someone you care about? Life is like a puzzle, you will not know what the picture will turn out to be. Unless you look at the box's cover art, expectations are set high, maybe even too high. Puzzles are in pieces, and the shapes and canyons they leave individually and when connected together is both a work in progress and a beautiful mosaic. Do not chase people, do not spectate for too long. Take shape and become your own spectacle and learn where you fit into the picture.

4. Building relationships is better now and later.

Romantic, long-term relationships are like construction sites. Renovations, scaffolding, and new developments are always somewhere to be found on the job. Relationships, on the other hand, are the toolbox. Everyone has their strengths and purposes. You build relationships first to start an ongoing foundation before placing that first brick. If the structure is sound, there may be room for something different, something more. With any project, take measurements twice and cut once. Having relationships with people puts you in a good place with acquaintances that may become new friends who may be a new love interest down the line.

5. True love is not a fantasy.

True love is not going to be a movie in real time. True love is not anything like a movie; there is no set, audience, or cameras documenting every breathe you take together. Knowing where your definition of true love stands is the difference between expectation and reality. Romance is possible, but if you are expecting to slip on a glass shoe or share a spaghetti-noodle-kiss, then there is no priority just fantasy. True love is real, a connection that always was and never will be again, and no form of media that portrays true love can do it justice.