Editor’s Note: Here at Yo! we’ve started to check out stories produced by other youth magazines.

When you are single a lot of the time it feels like everyone you encounter or see is coupled off except for you. The one time you get a partnered-up things change and it feels like you run into a lot of single people.

An article from CosmoGirl states:

Both of my roommates have serious boyfriends. All my best friends from high school are in long-term relationships. And I haven’t had a date in years…I’d love to know how all these people do it? How are they all finding someone?

Being in a relationship means much more than what it appears to be. Many people say they get involved in “serious’ or “long-term relationships.” The important thing to realize about relationships is that they can be complicated and definitely have a negative side. Many people think of relationships as being a great thing that always brings happiness.

First off, just because people are in long-term relationships does not mean that they are happy. I was in a relationship and was in love for over a year in high school, but I was not happy and things were not working out. I stayed in the relationship because I did not want to face the reality that our relationship had ended a long time ago. I tell people that sometimes being in a relationship is not glamorous all of the time.

Even though the author of the article is questioning how people are able to find a partner she also states:

I’m not saying I’m not having a great time on my own, or that I’m ready to just jump into the arms of the next guy that comes along…

You defiantly do not want to just get into a relationship because everyone else is. This will only complicate things and possibly cause problems. However, you have to deal with being alone if you are not in a relationship. Yes, there are going to be times when you wish you had someone by your side, someone to go to the movies and just hang out with. If you are a strong person and develop a feeling that you do not need to have a partner, then eventually things will work out. I believe there is someone for each person in the world and it is definitely better to wait on that person instead of jumping into something that is not meant to be.
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Everyday we judged by people we encounter, whether they are family, friends, or strangers. People will try and dictate who you should be as a person and convince you to act in a way they see fit.

An article from Cosmogirl states:

We all have our days, our moods, our issues, our dirty laundry; but it seems that no matter how we choose to deal with all of these things we’re inevitably doing it the wrong way.

It wasn’t until my senior year in high school that I realized I had to start living life for myself and stop letting society dictate who I am as a person. I stopped caring about what people thought about what I did and what I wore. Like how my hair looked, what I should wear, how I should act, and what I should do with my life. I started to have more confidence in who I am as a person and was able to love myself.

There are going to be people who think the decisions that you are making in your life should be dealt with differently, but you have to do what you feel is best for you. There will be some ups and downs but you cannot please everyone. Start by living your life for yourself. Not everything you are doing is wrong.
—Ashley Smith