Despite the constant nagging you may receive from your elders or the social media messages that insists you need a man to be happy, I’m here to tell you that it is all lies. Yes, lies.

Growing up, we are bombarded with these beliefs and ideas that a girl is supposed to find her prince charming and then live happily ever after. Our lives are meant to be spent waiting on the "perfect man" that will essentially complete us. However, there is no such thing as the "perfect man," nor the "perfect woman," and by no means is it necessary for someone to be in a relationship to feel like their life is complete just because they have a significant other.

For the longest time, I was a firm believer in those concepts. I thought that if I was not involved with someone else, then I must be missing out on something. It was not until I started doing things on my own that I realized how wrong I had been.

When it comes to happiness, the most important aspect involved is knowing you can be happy on your own. Understanding what makes you happy and knowing that you are capable of doing all of those things is the first step in realizing you do not need a man or a significant other to be happy.

Some people may say, “But I am uncomfortable doing some of the things that make me happy by myself.” That’s OK. If we were not uncomfortable doing them, then we already would be doing those things. But just because we are uncomfortable trying something new does not mean we should avoid it if it's something that will satisfy us.

I often hear people say that they are afraid to go out to eat alone, or to the movies alone, or social events single. It may seem easier when you have someone accompanying you to those types of things, but if you step out of your comfort zone, you will soon find you are capable of enjoying yourself without the constant company of someone else. Once you learn to be happy with yourself and yourself alone, then you will come to realize that a significant other is not supposed to be your main source of happiness. Instead, your significant other should be someone who adds to the happiness you already had, someone who positively impacts your life, but does not control your emotional state of mind.

My advice to you is to try doing things out of your norm by yourself that might make you happy and feel empowered. Take yourself on a day trip somewhere new, and at the end of the day, I guarantee you will be surprised at how much fun you had despite the absence of someone else being there with you. One of the most important things you can do for yourself is learning to accept who you are and love who you are. In doing this, any relationship you have, whether it be one you are in currently or one in the future, will not be able to negatively sway the positive opinions you have built about yourself. So let your hair down this summer and embrace your independence.