It's that time of the year again when everyone you know is pairing up and going on their merry way.
There are different people in the world: the ones who get an obnoxious amount of attention and then the people who are lucky to even get the slightest amount of attention from someone they are interested in. No one wants to be the only single person in their friend group, however, it happens. The times you find yourself single while all of your friends are in relationships can be very depressing and frustrating-- trust me, I know. The majority of the time when you're with friends, they are with their significant other or talking about them. Being single during the holidays is when it really all just kicks in. While your friends are out on cute festive dates with their significant other, you find yourself at home watching Netflix in bed with your pets.
It's not that you aren't happy for them, but when everyone close to you has a significant other, it just emphasizes the fact that you don't, and that feeling totally sucks. Seeing everyone in love just leaves you thinking “oh, that's right, I’m alone.” At times you find yourself drowning in homework and taking on extra shifts at work just to distract you from the fact that you are alone. A kiss under the mistletoe is non-existent along with the dreamed about New Years Eve kiss when the clock strikes midnight. Being single is your time to be selfish and truly get to know yourself a little better. Sure, being single during the holidays isn't exactly what you want but us single ladies have to stay positive. I mean come on, while everyone is shopping on Black Friday for gifts, you get to shop for yourself! It feels pretty good to be able to spoil yourself rather than spend money on gifts for a significant other that you have no idea if you'll even be together a month from now.
Nothing is worse than regretting the amount of money you spent on an ex, but there is no regret when treating yourself, you deserve it! The people who you surround yourself with during the holidays are what matter, so please don't be the Grinch because your love life isn't going as planned. While everyone is sharing cute cliche pictures with their significant others by the tree, grab the dog or cat and post that adorable picture. I mean come on who wouldn't rather see a cute dog or cat in a picture rather than an overly-affectionate couples picture.
Life is short, so follow your heart and know that there is a reason for every heartache and happiness along your journey. No better you than the you that you are. It can be easy to forget to love yourself. You get caught up in impressing the people around you and pretending to be someone who you are not. In the process, you lose your true self. Being single is your time to shine, truly learn more from what went wrong in past relationships and appreciate yourself more. Now go turn that frown upside down and enjoy not being tied down! Your special someone will show up when you least expect it, so stop trying to force it.