I wrote this the day before Valentine's Day because there were a lot of people on social media putting up posts similar to this. I know these posts were meant to be jokes, but I also know a lot of people wished they had a significant other to spend Valentine's Day with. I wanted to assure people that it is all right to not have a soulmate right now. You haven't met the right person yet or you have and either you or that person haven't noticed.

I need you to think about yourself as a kid in a candy shop looking for a specific candy - the candy shop is the world and the candy you're looking for is your soulmate. There are many candies to choose from, but there is one candy you know the shop has that you came for - unless you practice polygamy, and in that case you have a couple more candies that you want/need. You know exactly what you came in the shop looking for, just like you know exactly what kind of person you'd want to spend the rest of your life with, so don't leave there without it, just like you shouldn't settle for someone who doesn't meet your standards.

Everyone and everything has standards, don't feel bad because you do. Quick sidebar: if people tell you that you set your standards too high, ask them if NYU didn't have standards would it still be considered one of the best schools in the nation? If God didn't have standards would Heaven be considered Heaven? If grocery stores and food chains didn't have standards, what would their food quality be like? In order to be and achieve the best, you need to set standards for what the "best" is for you, don't lower them because the people you've met haven't met them.

There's nothing wrong with looking at or trying out some of the other enticing candy, just like there's nothing wrong with entertaining people you know you don't want to spend the rest of your life with, but if they're not better than what you came in the shop looking for then ultimately you're wasting your time. It doesn't matter how good the candy may look or taste, it's only temporary and it's not better than what you came in the shop for.

Don't lower your standards because they haven't been met, and don't get caught up in someone who isn't right for you because you're scared of being alone. I'd rather be alone than spend the rest of my life with someone I know isn't good for me. Keep looking, the candy you're looking for is in the shop somewhere. Honestly, you'll be fine, I truly believe there's someone out there for everyone.