From a young age, we are told stories of true love and happily-ever-afters, creating the impression that true happiness is found only after discovering ‘the one’. However, this isn’t always the case – in fact, there are some situations in life where we are better off staying single for the time being.
There is a time and place for everything in your life. – a time to purchase a house, buy your first car, focus on your education, or run for that big promotion. Determining when the time is right requires understanding where you are currently at in your life, and where you are headed. Will that decision move you forward towards happiness and success, or will it hold you back? The same can be said for love, dating and a committed relationship. There are going to be times in life that a relationship will bring great joy, but at other stages of your life, it may bring you more heartache than happiness!
Pay attention to these 7 signs that you’re meant to be single right now:
#1 – You fail to love yourself first.
This may sound completely cheesy, but there is some truth to the saying that you have to love yourself first before you can really love someone else. When someone enters into a relationship while struggling with self-love, it’s easy for the relationship to cross the line into an unhealthy attachment. In these situations, our love of ourselves is completely dependent on how much our partner loves us. Instead, take some time to focus on self-growth. Start identifying aspects about yourself that you love. Take control of your feelings of self-love, and you will prepare yourself for a happy, healthy relationship down the road.
#2 – You are afraid of being alone.
Getting into a relationship simply to avoid being single is one of the biggest mistakes that you could make. Why? If you’re currently struggling with this mindset, then you’re likely going to settle with the first guy that even slightly fits into your life. This may be okay at first, but in time you will begin to resent the fact that you have settled. You will long for the kind of love that you have denied yourself by settling for something less. Instead, hold out for the moment when the right person comes along. It may take a little long, but it is completely worth it!
#3 – You are not 100% confident in yourself.
Contrary to popular belief, getting into a relationship is not going to ‘complete you’ or solve any problems that you might have with your own self-confidence and self-esteem. Instead, it will only serve to magnify these struggles. Before you go jumping into a relationship, take the time to work on the most important person in your life – you. Using techniques like positive daily affirmations, you can increase your confidence, setting yourself up for success in every area of your life. Not only will this increase your chances of making a relationship last, but it will also help you to attract an amazing partner.
#4 – You are still thinking about your last relationship regularly.
There’s nothing wrong with the occasional reflection on the past, the people you have dated in the past are part of your life story up to this point. However, if you are regularly thinking about someone from your past then you are likely not over the relationship. If you are going to give your next relationship a fair chance at success, you need to let go of the feelings you are still harboring for your ex first.
#5 – You aren’t happy with your current living situation.
You want to enter into a relationship with happiness and positivity in order for it to grow and develop in the healthiest way possible. If you are currently unhappy with something in your life, such as where you live, your career or a situation with your family, this negativity will follow you into your relationship, preventing you from truly being happy together. Before you get into a relationship, take a step back and pinpoint the areas of your life that you aren’t happy with and how you can change them to address this. Remember, nothing is going to change unless you’re willing to put the effort into making it happen.
#6 – You have become bored with your life.
Life should be a fun, exciting experience with the potential to bring us great joy. If you fall into a mundane routine, however, life can become boring and uneventful. At this point, you may make rash decisions simply out of the desire to turn this around, including entering into relationships that aren’t necessarily the best for you. Instead, take the time to break out of your rut first. Try new hobbies, visit a new restaurant and meet new people. Shake things up a bit to create excitement. You don’t want to start your relationship by putting the pressure on it that it alone can bring you happiness in life, or you’re setting yourself up for heartbreak.
#7 – You are enjoying being single.
While the other points all focus on the need to eventually get into a relationship, I think this point also needs to be made. Contrary to the image that is often portrayed in movies, not everyone is longing to make a long-term commitment. Some people are simply enjoying the single life, and there’s nothing wrong with that! If you are having fun and are truly happy with your life, and don’t have the desire to make this kind of change, then don’t. Rock the single life!
Image via Loner Wolf