It’s no secret that our generation has unreal expectations of how life is supposed to go. Between the media and reality shows, a lot of us just assume that the happy ending falls together on its own. One day you are single and then the next you have found the person you are going to spend the rest of your life with. Everything after that goes without a problem.

The marriage never experiences hardships. Finances are a piece of cake and you’ll never experience being broke. Then you will have three little kids to play behind the white picket fence you purchased at a young age.

I think most everyone will agree with me when I say it is not quite that easy. Some of us, like myself, have been on this journey for a long time and are still single. To society and our generation, it’s almost unfathomable. How can I be okay with the fact I am still single? It’s actually very easy.

We are told that if we are not in a relationship, we are not wanted. Our generation has ruined being happily single. They have told us that in order to be accepted, we need to receive love from someone other than ourselves, which is a complete lie.

I’m going to let you in on a secret. Our self-worth has absolutely nothing to do with what other people think of us and everything to do with what we think of ourselves.

To be happy and with somebody else requires you to be happy by yourself first. Date yourself. Get to know yourself. Love yourself. Enjoy this time in your life because the only obligations you have are to yourself. This is the time to truly explore and discover things.

What good is being in a relationship if it isn’t right for you? So often we are in a rush to be in a relationship that we will settle for the first person that shows an interest in us. Not only is it not fair to the other person you are in the relationship with, you are taking away somebody else’ opportunity with you.

Build your career. Pay off debt. Sleep with who you want to sleep with. Enjoy every second of this life.

Being single doesn’t mean that you are not wanted. It doesn’t mean that you are too picky. It simply means that you take a lot of thought into your choices and you’re going to make sure everything is right before you jump into something. Don’t let our generation tell you that what you want or need is wrong.

Learning to be single is an important part of growing. Be single. Be happy. Be you. It’s possible, I promise.