Millennials are largely black or white.
There are rarely gray areas when it comes to the type of people in our age group.
We are liberal and conservative, apathetic and extreme, content and rebellious.
This black and white nature can be applied to any situation when it comes to our individual beliefs, hopes and dreams, but I want to talk about one in particular.
I would like to focus on the issue of relationships.
From what I’ve observed, it seems that people our age are either completely against having a serious relationship or don’t believe they can go through life without one.
Those who are against relationships tend to be pretty adamant about their preference, period.
You know these people don’t want to be in a serious monogamous relationship and would rather spend their time as a young adults with a crowd of uncommitted people.
That’s nice.
I get it.
Personally, I don’t agree with this lifestyle, but if someone is against the relationship and chooses not to be in one, who am I to try to convince them otherwise?
What confuses me is the other group of people.
One who wants a relationship.
I’m sure each of you has witnessed a woman in our age group complain on some social media outlet that she’s single.
These people are jealous of friends who are in relationships, which is why they go out and literally hang around men, only to be upset to the point of crying when they end up alone at the end of the night.
Of course, this practice is not just limited to women.
I’ve met many 20-something men who are looking for a relationship with all the women they talk to while drinking with friends.
I’ve heard “I want a boyfriend/girlfriend” from people my age so often that it’s starting to lose value and get sick.
I was in a relationship for three years and when it ended, I must admit, I really had no idea what to do with myself.
I put so much time and effort into one person and then put so much emotion into the memories of what I had that I could barely understand the idea of being with someone else.
However, I never got tired of that relationship.
I’m not that girl who breaks up and claims she’ll never be with anyone again, and so on.
I took that failed experience and learned from it.
I will never regret a moment in those three years because they taught me so much about myself as a person and how I see the way other people treat me.
Instead of sulking about being alone, I embraced being single.
I realized that I was very young in those three years and would spend this new time in my life experiencing things I missed when I was too busy being a girlfriend.
I never looked at others in a relationship and longed for what they had, I just learned to be happy on my own.
Too easy.
When I came to understand this new element of freedom, I can’t imagine why anyone would complain about being single.
The power to do what you want, when you want?
Who doesn’t want that?
Why can’t men and women of our generation realize that all this time they spend yearning for a relationship doesn’t get them anywhere?
If you are one of those people who yearns for a relationship at this age, let me give you some advice.
Complaining that you’re single or that you won’t be truly happy until you find someone who won’t bring a relationship your way anytime soon.
Relationships have to come to you when you least expect them.
Now, after a considerable period of time, I met someone and started another relationship, and it came out of nowhere.
It was completely unexpected and that’s how it should be for everyone.
Next time you want a relationship, don’t.
Take those emotions and channel them into something positive.
Go out and do something fun, don’t try to pick up anyone while you’re out, and spend the night laughing with your friends.
Stay home and watch movies you love alone on the couch for one night.
You are young, so accept being single.
I guarantee your next relationship will be faster than you thought, but only if you stop anticipating it.