There are two types of people in the world: Those who hate being single, and those who embrace it. I'd like to think I fall into the second category. Sure, it'd be nice to find someone to be with, but in the meantime I am not going to wallow around feeling sorry for myself. It's definitively important to be single at certain points in your life in order to know who you are as an individual rather than half of a whole. Anyone who has been single for an extended period of time, will probably agree. If you're like me, here are a few things you know to be true:
1. You learn to become more independent.
It's important to know how to survive on your own and not rely on someone else.
Recommended for you
2. You learn from your friends' relationships.
When you're single for a while, you witness your friends go through numerous relationships, breakups, makeups and everything in between. You've seen your fair share of heartbreak and you've seen your fair share of mistakes. Being witness to all of this has allowed you to learn from them, the good and the bad..
3. You've been told that you're too picky, but really you just know not to settle.
Yes, there is such a thing as being too picky. There is also such a thing as knowing what you deserve and not settling for anything less.
4. People have stopped asking you if there is someone in your life because they already know the answer.
You've been to your fair share of family gatherings, holidays, etc. where an adult has asked you if you're dating anyone. By the third Christmas has rolled around where you once again share that you're single, they stopped asking.
5. You learn to become ambitious because you don't have another person to think about.
You have plans for your future, some more specific than others. But ultimately, you're able to think big because you don't have to worry about how a s/o might feel. You tend to have ambitious dreams, thankfully never having to consider factors like long distance.
6. You've mastered and embraced the art of the third wheel.
At first you were hesitant, but once the majority of your friends started getting into relationships, you realized it was time to suck it up. Turns out it's not so bad. And it usually involves food, you'd never turn that down.
7. You never go out to "find someone" but to simply have a good time.
Part of the whole "independent" aspect of being single is learning how to dance on your own. Not necessarily in the dance-by-yourself-in-the-middle-of-the-dance-floor kind of way but more in the I'm-not-going-to-the-bar-just-to-find-my-husband sort of way. Besides, there's no better time than going out with your other single friends.
8. You blame part of your high expectations on fictional characters.
Let's just cut to the chase, a lot of what being single entails is watching a lot of Netflix. And the majority of the shows you watch include characters that continue to set the bar high for you in the relationship department. Yes, they're fictional. But a girl can dream, right?
9. You treasure your alone time.
You like your alone time so much, you're almost afraid to get into a relationship because you don't want it to go away.
10. You've grown more confident.
No one is there to constantly give you compliments or raise your self-esteem, so you've learned to do it yourself.
11. One by one your other single friends have gotten into relationships.
You may have been single for so long that you've seen your group of single friends slowly dwindle away. You're happy for your friends, but still, c'mon I thought we were in this together.
12. You've grown to realize what exactly you do and don't want out of a relationship.
I could give you a full list here, but rather than subject you to that I'll let you come up with this on your own.
13. You'll never understand people who get caught up in their relationship and lose sight of what's important.
Being single has allowed you to focus on what's really important to you. And that's school, work, family and friends. You have seen your fair share of people put their significant other before these aspects of life, and you know enough by now to know that you'll never do the same.
14. You've given enough advice to form your own book and refer back to it if you ever need it yourself.
For someone who's been single for a while, you sure do give a lot of relationship advice. And you've given enough of it to know what exactly you would tell yourself later on if you were ever in a similar situation.
15. You don't have money issues.
You don't have to worry about buying gifts for an additional person, instead you buy gifts for yourself.
16. You know yourself.
This one is the most important. When you've been single for a while you begin to understand yourself better as a person and as an individual. This is something you wouldn't get the benefit of being able to do if you were constantly in a relationship.
