Are you single?
Are any of your friends single?
I’m sure you can answer yes to at least one of these questions, if not then maybe you should just stop reading this all together because it might be a slight waste of your time.
ANYWAYS, we live in a world where hookup culture is at an all-time high, but at the same time, being single is partly looked down on by some individuals. Sure, being single means there isn’t someone to text 24/7 or someone to cuddle with whenever you desire but it might not be as bad as some people make it sound.
Personally, I think you need to be alone for some period of time to find out who you really are, cliché yes, but so many people get wrapped up in relationships as 20-somethings that when it ends, they don’t know what to do with themselves. News flash: you probably shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket, but hey don’t let me tell you how to live, I mean I’m the single one here.
Being alone isn’t the end of the world; it’s actually the complete opposite. You get to experience life; you learn what you want in your future significant other, and what you definitely do not want in a relationship. It’s a learning experience. You’ll meet people who make you feel something (ooooh cue the feels, yikes!!!), people who change the way you look at certain things, and people who are a prime example of why you would much rather be single. But hey, that’s the beauty of it.
In my mind, being alone makes it harder for you to settle. You start to get a feel for who you are when you’re walking down the street by yourself with no texts waiting for you as you check your cell-phone, when all your friends have plans and you don't so you have some quality alone time, and when you have no one to please but yourself.
You start to notice that having a strong feel for who you are makes it hard to accept anything less than what you know you deserve. As a 20-something, you have SO many other things to worry about than finding a boyfriend or girlfriend, like what you’re going to have for a snack later.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking anyone in a relationship– hey, been there it’s great etc.– I’m simply saying that being alone makes you a little less naïve when it comes to relationships. It helps you realize that you don’t need someone to survive. Wait, you mean you can live and breathe all by yourself? Wow, who knew!!! You have your friends and you have your family, which is all you could ever really ask for. And if you find someone who’s a little more special on top of all that, good for you, that’s amazing! But if you don’t, if you feel like you’ll never find anyone, go get a drink (preferably alcoholic) and chillll out.
In the meantime, enjoy your life. Enjoy your college years, or the post-grad chapter of your life because it goes by so fast. Soon you’ll be old wishing the hardest decision you have to make all day is what Netflix show to watch later.
Learn that it’s ok to be alone, learn what you want and what you don’t want in a relationship, and learn to stop selling yourself short.
