Growing up, I watched and listened to the fairy tales that shaped our childhoods. Belle, Ariel and Cinderella all lived happily ever after. I too dreamed of the day that my prince charming would arrive and how he would sweep me off of my feet. Life can follow a similar story line. Like the overwhelming feeling of butterflies you get when someone smiles your way in a room, or when your'e hand in hand with someone and feel unbreakable. Life offers us many chapters in our lives filled with these picturesque moments.
As I grow older, I notice that life isn't just glass slippers and castles. It's much more complex.
We can all remember the times when we felt true love and happiness, the sting of having our heart broken, or the guilt in breaking someone's heart (or at least one of these). Every single one of these moments shaped you and I into who we are today. Personally, the moments in my life taught me to remember that I am always loved first by God and my family, and that my goals and values should be set in the center of my life.
Here are just some of the ways I'm looking at life now that I'm almost 22.
1) Keep your individuality
Having your own hobbies and life outside of your relationship is healthy and important. I was always taught to be financially and emotionally stable with or without someone in my life. A guy shouldn't be your whole world, he should make your world better.
2) Don't compare your relationship to social media couples
Keep in mind that no one is perfect, and that comparing your relationship to a "perfect" couple on Instagram is not realistic. Comparison is the thief of joy.
3) Life is too short to be anything but happy
Yes, we all have moments of strife, but the majority of life should be filled with happiness. Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you. Also, be someone who brings out the best in others.
4) Pray about it
Find peace in knowing that God holds your future. Keep an open mind about receiving what He says.
Whether your'e in a relationship, looking for your prince charming, or not sure about what is to come, I urge you to take a step back and find what makes you happy. You’ll know when you find your Prince Charming. Trust me.
Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.
-mms