I probably speak for most young men and women when I say that we've taken a look at our partnerless selves at some point or another and been at least a little frustrated by it, feeling like we even so much as deserve someone. Thoughts about feeling ready for a relationship, feeling like you could offer so much, thinking you'd be happier if you were with someone, and letting those thoughts occupy your head space is exactly what NOT to do when you're single.
Let me start by saying, I believe it's when you aren't looking for someone, that you'll find someone -- someone worth while, anyway. When you're constantly on the prowl for that girl/guy, you'll probably end up either disappointed, or settling for someone who isn't right for you, and ultimately disappointed anyway. I'm not saying this is a concrete law of dating, but it just tends to be what happens a large part of the time.
Young and single should sound a lot like opportunity. This is the time of your life to go and try new things, go different places, be busy, very busy doing things you either love or things you find out you don't like at all. This is the time to get out and LIVE! What you do in your late teens and early twenties should be potentially the most intriguing part of your life story. You have this window of time to do some really cool things. Why this matters to single people is it's almost like building your unwritten dating resumé. You'll never be boring, you'll grow in wisdom, and you'll have some great date spots in mind because you've already been there while single. Plus, you just might run into somebody you end up falling head over heals for when you least expect it because you're out living it up and seeing the world... who knows.
This also isn't to say that all the fun goes away once you're no longer single. You can do so much, go so many places, and experience so many things when you're single, but there's so much joy to be found in doing those things and more with someone special by your side. Especially someone who hasn't been dwelling on their own singleness, but has instead been living life to the fullest till they met you.
Don't hang your head because you can't seem to find the perfect someone... that's not attractive and surely isn't the right tactic to go about changing anything. Instead, build up your life story with a wide array of experiences and knowledge. Meet lots of people, take advantage of opportunities while you can, and trust that the person you're meant to be with will be placed on your life's timeline right where they need to be, as you will be on theirs. Shut up and live!
