I haven’t been single in four years. After one of my significant others and I break up, I find (without searching) someone else to fill the shoes of the previous guy. I get a lot of hell from my friends for this, and their words really bothered me over the past few years. I felt labeled as needy, attention-seeking, or even a slut. In certain instances, I would hold off telling my friends that I was dating someone new, in hopes that they wouldn’t think that I was jumping from guy to guy. Not only would they judge the amount of boyfriends, but they would judge the guys themselves. The guys that I dated wouldn't be hot enough, smart enough, or good enough for their standards.

All of their unwanted influence drove me crazy. Although, after spending many nights juggling these thoughts in my head, I realized that I shouldn’t have to feel bad for the guys that I date or the number of them. This is a time in my life where I am figuring out who I am, and without the numerous boyfriends, I really wouldn’t be who I am today.

Recently, I have been seeing countless articles about the “how-to’s of love,” and it made me think…there shouldn’t be any rules to love. Women and men both opt to Google to search out their problems in hopes that a lonely blogger has an article written just for their situation. What they find are lists of “What Not to do in a Relationship” or “How to Make Your Man Fall in Love With You.” Stop reading them! Don’t revolve your love life around a fantasy or a set of rules. Songs, movies and the internet all create a delusion of the perfect partner, but in reality, the perfect partner is the person that makes you the happiest.

There are no rules to love. Go date whomever you like; don’t delay pursuing someone because they may be different from your usual type, or they don’t meet the qualifications that are set by some internet blogger. It doesn't matter who you date or how many people you date. If you are happy with them, then stay with them and enjoy their company. Don’t let your friends, family or a blog post dictate who you should be dating, and date the person who best suits you and your needs. In the end, your happiness is the only thing that matters.

“With love, there are no rules. The heart decides, and what it decides is all that really matters.” – Paulo Coelho