Every Valentine’s Day red and blush pink tones explode throughout the stores' countertops and merchandise with dainty cards reading, “you complete me" or “you’re my other half.”

When one directs their attention beyond the little dark chocolates or stuffed bears, the perplexing thoughts of what love truly is come to mind. As human beings, emotional creatures who genetically release hormones and chemicals that generate feelings of “love” can often place love and lust into the same category.

Hormones such as dopamine conjure up feelings of happiness and affection, similar to the side effects of a drug that can spark long-term effects. For some people, relationships have become a part of their life for so long the feeling of being single and without romance deems too overwhelming to grasp. Many people feel the need to constantly be in a relationship, for the mere thought of simply loving themselves seems out of the question. I recall a friend of mine divulged, when I questioned her about one of her not-so-good boyfriends, that “even if he’s not the best one for me, it’s better than being alone.”

This fear of simply completing yourself urges women and men to dive into relationships, when in reality you must find out for yourself who you are beforehand. Although this sounds cliche, you need to complete and love yourself first before investing your time into a committed relationship, which in this day and age may be even harder to find. The hands on the clock never stop running, and time is the only game humans fail to master, so don’t waste it!