Image source: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/4f/74/7a/4f747a82e8a226730ff7480fa29b5e81--im-happy-quotes-happy-single-quotes.jpg
With Valentines Day behind us, many will be relieved to see the crimson tide of Valentines day goodies and dcor once again recede until next February. But although the grocery department stores may have already moved on from the V-Day hype, theres a possibility that you havent. For a few weeks there will be lots of forlorn lovers wandering the streets, lamenting the fact that Cupid didnt have an arrow in his quiver for them this year.
Its reasonable to be a little disappointed and even depressed when evaluating your love life, but the more we entertain these thoughts the deeper we dig ourselves into our emotional doldrums. There needs to be some kind of positivity to awaken us to the amount of opportunity that being single can afford us.
While a serious or even casual relationship is something that most people are always actively looking for, you should take a moment to relish in the fact that you are able to do a lot of things that your non-single companions cant. Here are some reasons to rejoice in your relationship status.
1. You have more money
Of course money isnt everything, but it can have a lot to do with the social opportunities that you can allow yourself. Eating or drinking for one enables you to splurge a bit if, for instance, youre feeling somewhat adventurous and would like to expand your culinary horizons at the newest gourmet restaurant. If youre into more noble financial behavior, however, you can begin to save the money that you would otherwise be spending on your loved one. Whether youre looking to have a little financial cushioning for the future, or if youre considering finally going on that trip to Europe, the money you save while youre single will add up a lot more quickly than while you arent.
2. You can try new things
When someone is in a relationship every activity that he or she is interested in needs to be ratified by not one, but two different parties. Yes, the company of another person is nice, but that company may not be as interested about going to an art museum as you are. When you are single, you can make a trip to see a film at an arthouse theater; you can go on an impromptu camping trip one weekend; you can bring home a pet; you can randomly decide that you want to attend a local renaissance fair in period-appropriate garb, and no one will insist that you do otherwise. Without someone having to approve of your activities, you can diversify your cultural literacy whenever and however you please.
3. You can move
One thing that many people dont consider is that entering a relationship usually limits your mobility that is, you are prohibited from moving to another location. Certainly, there is the option of maintaining a long-distance relationship, but that is never optimal and it can lay a pretty dubious foundation for a young relationship. Another thing that people dont consider is that some of the greatest job opportunities come from different locations. Its always best to apply for jobs anywhere you can find them (especially in this economic climate), and when you receive a call from the right employer youll want to be able to start working as soon as possible. Being in a relationship can seriously limit where you are applying to, which can ultimately limit your professional success.
4. You will meet new people
Relationships can often minimize the amount of networking that someone does since your need for company is always satisfied. Its far too easy to decide on a dinner or movie alone with your significant other rather than going out to a place that you are both unfamiliar with. Singleness forces you to go outside of your social comfort zone and requires you to meet some new faces to sustain your social welfare; when you arent provided with easy access to conversation and camaraderie you have to fend for yourself and cut your social teeth by coming out of your shell. This isnt to say that the company you have in a relationship is a negative thing intimate interaction with another person is something that is refreshing, and spiritually rewarding but a relationship can make you complacent, and less likely to expand your social web.
Theres a little saying that goes, A watched pot never boils. You can see that as long as you dwell on the negative aspects of singlehood, a relationship might seem like even more of a distant possibility. Yes, its comforting to share in the mutual love of a relationship, but the single lifestyle can be extremely liberating if you look at it in an alternative way. Inject some positivity into your singleness, and use this time to seize opportunity and grow as a person.
