It seems like everyone is in a relationship now-a-days. With cute pumpkin patch pictures and couples’ costume photos infiltrating social media during the past several weeks, it leaves the single person feeling a bit left out. However, there is nothing wrong with being single; it is actually a sign of strength amidst a seemingly couple-oriented society.

So your friend invites you to a party, but they say they’re bringing their significant other along. A wave of sadness hits as you realize you will be third-wheeling for the night. But being single doesn’t have to invoke these feelings of despair because it’s actually pretty cool!

When you’re single, you have all the options in the world right at your fingertips. You can flirt with total strangers or secretly plan to woo an old friend. You can try your hand at online dating or experience the bar scene. The single life gives you a chance to experience things you would’ve never tried (that your significant other wouldn’t have approved of, possibly) like skydiving or going on impromptu road trips. The opportunity to live an exotic yet fulfilling life has never been more possible.

There is definitely some merit to just keeping things light and fun. Sometimes relationships get bogged down in seriousness and trivial quarrels, but you have don’t have to worry about some of that serious stuff. Relationship drama is something that everyone wants to avoid; you can avoid by avoiding strings. The single life allows exploration of friendships that never would’ve been possible. Relationships can be time-consuming, taking away from time that could be spent getting to know other friends on a deeper level.

Being single also allows you to devote more time and money into other important aspects of your life. Society makes it seem like being in a relationship is easy-peasy sometimes, but relationships actually cost a lot of money and a lot of time. Being single allows you to find and pursue your passion to the fullest extent. If these pursuits of passion are also pursuits of happiness, that’s all we really need in life. If happiness is the goal, being single can open doors to this happiness that would’ve been thought impossible if in a relationship.

The best part about being single is that it gives you more time to find yourself and discover who you really are in conjunction with society. College immerses us into this crazy world where we have to start defining ourselves rather than allowing our hometowns and parents define us. The single life allows us to spend time alone in reflection of and reaction to the world around us so that we form our own opinions and perspectives.

So while I’m not telling you to go and be single forever, I am telling you that if you’re single and feeling down about it, perk up! There are so many doors left to be opened; embrace your lack of a mate so that you can focus on loving yourself before loving anyone else.