“For our one year anniversary my boyfriend made a video of him singing “She Will be Loved” by Maroon 5 because he knows that is my favorite song. Also, he took me out to the restaurant I have been dying to go to. At the end of the night we reached my driveway covered in rose petals shaped in the form of my name. Is he not the best?”
If your best friend tells this to you, how do you react? If you are not in a relationship and are unhappy about being single, you may find yourself not supporting her like you should. When the media around us is telling us about the joys of love and how much we need it, some might feel that not having this type of love eliminates the possibility of joy. Through my life experiences I have found that this mentality is a sad one to have. A mentality such as this could lead to a search for validation from a relationship. What people don’t realize is that being single is a beautiful thing because it brings you time for self-growth, peace of mind, and fun times.
Self-Growth
When you are alone with no one to always tell you how great you are, you begin to realize how great you are alone. When you are single you can think about your future career, where you want to travel, or finally write that song you’ve been meaning to get around to. Visualize your future without being attached to someone. If you are newly single, you can grow in other ways as well. This is the time to be strong without having your significant other there, as well as a time to heal from that break up. In that healing you will find what you want in a relationship and what you will and will not tolerate. Enjoy this self-growth because you can’t be there for someone else if you are not whole in yourself. If you aren’t whole, you could find yourself looking for a relationship to fill what is lacking inside of you.
Peace of Mind
When relationships are good, they are good. However, they may come with a lot of unnecessary drama. No matter how hard you try, part of your emotions will always be affected by the actions and words of the other person. When you are single you don’t have to worry about whether or not your significant other is mad at you, why their texts were so short, or why they aren’t calling you back. These little things that can constantly nag at you are not there anymore and you can just breathe. The only emotions you have to worry about are your own.
Fun Times
Singlehood brings fun times like flirting and creeping on people. When you go to a party, a group dinner, or walk through the mall you can scope out all of the cuties. Flirting is fun when you keep it light, as is creeping when it doesn’t turn into stalking. You end up meeting so many people and get an understanding of what you like and don’t like. If that wasn’t enough when you go for a night out, you can dance the night away without having to hold back. There is something freeing about not being a part of an “us” and just being a “you.”
It is so important to enjoy your times of singleness! You’ll be surprised at how much of it you will miss when you are in a relationship. Know that love comes in different shapes and sizes. Even if you don’t have the romantic kind of love in your life, know that you have the love of your friends and family always. So enjoy your seasons of singleness, but it really isn’t that bad. When your friend tells you all the cute stories about her new love simply be happy for them because you are happy too.
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