As girls, we grow up dreaming about our prince charming--who he will be, what he will look like, and when we’ll meet him. We spend countless hours doing our hair, makeup, and nails just to impress Mr. Right. In reality, he doesn’t just show up. We’ll find guys that make us feel special for a couple days, and then we have the tendency to settle. We settle because we’re comfortable and aren’t used to the feeling of being alone. For real, though, if he doesn’t make you feel special every single day, he’s not the one for you.

Settling for someone like this might make you think that they have the right to define who you are. You might want to do something or change something about yourself because you want to make them happy. Don’t do this. Don’t let someone else decide who you are going to be. Decide for yourself.

Before you have any chance of finding Mr. Right, you have to find yourself. The first step in learning to love yourself is deciding on the person you want to be. How does someone else learn to love you if you can’t even love yourself? Love yourself without makeup and with that beautiful natural hair. Love your personality, even if it sometimes isn’t perfect. Nobody’s perfect; realize that and accept it. The best way to do this is to be alone. The time when you learn the most about yourself is when you are by yourself. It’s when you don’t have someone to rely on to dry your tears or lean on when things go wrong. This is the time when you don’t have to worry about anybody but you. There is no one holding you back from doing whatever you want to do. Learn to be independent. Rely on yourself to handle things on your own that you didn’t think you could handle without that one person sitting right next to you.

Hopefully, this time alone will help you realize that you really don’t need anyone by your side to make you happy. You can be completely satisfied with your life by yourself. You’ll see that you are your own “knight in shining armor.” You are the one that makes you the happiest, not anyone else. It might be scary, and it might be hard to come to this realization, but it’s something we all need to think about the next time we settle for someone who just makes us comfortable.

In the end, don’t get too comfortable. Don’t settle for someone you have been with for years because you’re used to it and that's what people expect from you. Take a chance to be uncomfortable. Learn what makes you the happiest before you bring someone else into the picture. Don’t settle for someone who makes you feel anything less than you know you deserve.