Many girls have the preconceived notion that they have to get married after college. They have their honeymoon, reception, and wedding all planed out! If they don’t have a boyfriend, they think that they are either not normal or not loved. Our society puts too much emphasis on love and dating. Everywhere you turn, the focus is always on love and relationships on TV, movies, advertisements, music, and magazines. It forces everyone to believe that everyone should be in a relationship. So should you fool yourself into thinking the same? Of course not! We are better than constantly needing someone else, and should treasure ourselves more.
So what are the benefits of being in a relationship?
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You know there is always someone waiting for you on the other side.Someone who always has your back and someone who will pick up your late night distress calls. It makes us feel special, loved, and giddy on the inside. There is always someone with you on Valentine’s Day and on your birthdays. Someone who will shower you with gifts, surprises, security, and happiness. - Being in relationships helps you know who you want to spend the rest of your life with.Your experience helps you know more about your needs and desires. You won’t think “what if someone better comes along?”
What about the benefits of being single?
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You are FREE!You are free to talk to whoever you want. If you have your eye on a cute guy, no one is going to stop you from flirting with him! There are no boundaries. You can make as many friends as you want instead of being with one person for a really long time, only to realize that you don’t have friends outside of your significant other.
- More time to explore and think about yourself and what you want. There is more to life than just love and boys. Friendships, hobbies, and your passion to live life shape who you are. Being single allows you to be selfish and do whatever you want to do. You can take the time to look for true happiness within yourself and not through others. There are no stupid fights, no big headaches, and no time spent thinking about pointless mind games.
Alas, the grass is always greener on the other side. When you’re in a relationship you envy those wild, single girls. When you’re single you envy the lucky girls with great boyfriends. But think about it this way: If you keep thinking that you need someone to be happy, then you are only digging yourself deeper into loneliness. You might not find true happiness and love in your relationship because you are too focused on the idea of a relationship. But if you learn to love yourself first, love what you do, and know what you want, finding your soul mate and one true love will follow. It sounds cliché, but it’s true. So focus on loving yourself from now on. We all owe it to ourselves to be happy with who we are, not who we are with.