Any girl can date any guy and be treated any way. They often say who you are and who you become is directly influenced by the couple of people that you are closest with, that’s why to me, picking a significant other who makes your life better in every way is the only option there is.

My first serious relationship is the one I am currently still in, but that doesn’t mean that I was immune to what it was like out there, it just means I waited a long time to make sure the first person I committed to was everything that I wanted, and I knew I would never settle.

When I was single I kept my life an open book in my articles to really show people that they weren’t alone in certain things when it came dating in today’s day, and with life in general. I have kept my relationship pretty private when it came to my writing and that was my own choice. People relate more to your struggles then they do to your happiness. They want to feel like they aren’t alone, but what about when your life changes and you do meet the person you’ve been waiting for? I didn’t want to be the one to say that I was stupidly happy and make anyone feel like they were alone in their sadness. I also think it is important to celebrate the good times in your life, and show people you can go from someone who waited years and years to find the right person, and really, truly find them.

I remember moments of thinking am I too picky? Is it me? I spent years wondering why it was so hard to find just a really good person, and then I met my boyfriend. All of those questions went away and I realized that when you meet the right person your life will be easy. You won’t feel stressed out or like you are constantly chasing things. You will feel at peace and calm, and that was the biggest difference.

It’s true, you can go from eternally picking all the wrong people and wondering how your life is such a mess to wifed up in a short period of time. You can go from seeing someone who didn’t care if you were home safe or happy even in the slightest bit, to dating someone who would do anything to see you smile, even if that means rushing you to get your favorite ice cream when you decide fifteen minutes before the place closes that you needed it. Someone who makes your parents say “they don’t make them like that anymore.” Someone who supports your dreams in every single way. Someone who literally makes you laugh until you cry, someone who will cook for you and your friends at midnight when you’ve had a bad day, someone who at the end of the day just cares about you.

While I understand you need to date all the wrong people to make you appreciate a good thing when you see it, you also have to be aware of your worth in every way. Nothing makes me question someone’s sanity more then when someone says someone they are dating is “nice” and “it is weird.” Nice should be a requirement not a weird add-on. It should be apart of the package along with respect and all of the other things that are basic human rights. Many people forget that the people they date will have a huge influence on their life and who they become. You want to make sure that the person you have by your side not only respects you as a person but also cares for you and will be there for you through all of the things life can throw your way.

I didn’t write this article to blurt out to the world how happy I am, I wrote it show people that good relationships are out there, even for the hopeless romantics who always expected “too much” out of everyone. Being respectful, kind, and thoughtful are things that should be building blocks of your relationship not interchangeable qualities someone may or may not posses depending on the day.

If you haven’t found the right person yet and you ask yourself at least once a week if it is something wrong with you or if you are too picky the answer is no. You are a respectable person who is being made to wait for the right relationship. Nothing that has come along yet has been worthy of you. Trust me, waiting for the right one makes you appreciate it and never take it for granted, and you will be forever thankful those are relationship lessons you didn't have to learn the hard way. Nothing that has passed you that was meant for you, because at the end of the day when two people are meant to be together there really isn’t anything that can stop it.

Focus on you, what you want out of your life, and what kind of person/relationship you deserve. Don’t settle, that’s a waste of time. Don’t beat yourself up about your past, it brought you to where you are today and will make you so incredibly grateful for the person that comes along next. Last bit of advice, if you are not open to a relationship you will never find it meaning, stop being so bitter life is pretty great, and if you aren’t thankful for all that you have in your life now your bad attitude will only subtract things, people, and opportunities from it, not add. Change your attitude today and see results tomorrow, I promise.