As Valentineās Day looms large, letās take time to appreciate the power of being single. As a single person, your life is entirely your own. You can explore your passions, take risks, or just sit on the couch with your pet gerbil eating out of the same bag of Valentineās candy (as long as thatās safe for the gerbil). Here are some quotes to get you through Valentineās Day, proving once and for all that you can celebrate love without being in a relationship.
- Being alone can be deeply rewarding. Take it from Oscar Wilde: āI think itās very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.ā
- A relationship shouldnāt define your perception of yourself. Delta Burke understands this first and foremost: āI donāt like to be labeled as lonely just because I am alone.ā Because youāre not alone.
- Loneliness meets everyone at some point in their lives. You can run from it, or you can take Elizabeth Gilbertās advice: āWhen I get lonely these days, I think: So BE lonely, Liz. Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience. But never again use another personās body or emotions as a scratching post for your own unfulfilled yearnings.ā Well said!
- The grass is always greener on the other side, right? Single people lament the days of togetherness with an ex, and people in new relationships reminisce about the freedoms of single life. Both choices are valid, and both come with their own set of benefits and disadvantages. According to Mandy Hale, being āsingle is an opportunity to live life on your own terms and not apologize.ā Sounds pretty nice, doesnāt it?
- Weāve all been told happiness lies within. Finding that happiness is a test of courage and conviction. According to Thomas Merton, āIf we seek paradise outside ourselves, we cannot have paradise in our hearts.ā Look to yourself first; youāll be surprised at what you find.
- Thereās one person whoās always going to be there for you, and thatās you. Make the most of that by loving yourself despite your faults. To quote Oscar Wilde once again, āTo love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.ā
- You determine what it means to be whole and happy. Khang Nguyen tells us that, āBeing alone is not synonymous with incompleteness. Having a partner is not a precondition for completeness.āYour future happiness starts with your current state of mind.