Often the world says that being single is bad. You’re bad and you’re only good when you’re paired with someone else. Considering you were born single, even if you have a twin, being single will always be the in-thing. There are many misconceptions that surround singleness such as loneliness, misery, depression, and horrific Valentine’s Days spent alone eating all of the chocolate out of multiple heart-shaped boxes.

But, that’s just not the case. Being single comes with tons of positives. Being gay and being single says nothing about who you are.

So, don’t run out and grab the first guy that you bump into, cross paths with, or have a date with. There’s no timeline you need to adhere to. Single or not, you’re awesome.

Here are five ways that prove the single life is amazing.

Know Yourself

Without being tied to someone else you have the time to explore what you want to be and who. You can explore all the goals and interests you have without having to compromise with anyone. While that would be selfish in a relationship, by being single you can be a little selfish and get to know yourself better. While you’re alone you can learn what you want in a relationship and what are deal breakers. If you spend your entire life in relationships, you’ll be less likely to find your internal strength and become so dependent on another you won’t be able to see yourself without another person. While we aren’t meant to be alone for our entire lives, hence while we are born into families, there’s nothing wrong with finding and solidifying yourself before pairing with someone else. For that matter, if you never pair with someone else, it’s fine.

Responsibility

Being single makes you the only one responsible for every decision you make, there’s no one to blame, or congratulate but yourself. With only your skin in the game, you get to build that empowerment. If it’s successful, you’ve done it of your own strength and willpower, if it fails then you are fully responsible for whatever the consequences. By being the only person that will reap the rewards or consequences you learn to make better decisions that will lead to success and be able to quickly change course when it’s not working. Many times changes that need to be done are delayed as the blame game goes around and resentment can build as people who had nothing to do with the successful outcome get all the credit. You are both the wind and anchor for your own ship, so build it strong, right, and with confidence. The choice is yours and that’s an amazing responsibility.

Friends

Being single, you get to spend so much time with the people you decide to let into your life. Unlike your family, who you didn’t get a chance to choose, your friends were hand chosen by you. That means you saw something in them that made you want to get a relationship with them. When you get into a relationship you may find a lot of your time is taken by your significant other. While this person may be your best friend he’s still just one man and he’ll want your undivided attention. Tell your friends often that you appreciate them. Make the relationships strong and give of yourself. Your friends are those awesome people who can offer fun and support. They came already perfect for you. You don’t have to be someone else with them or feel pressured to conform to their ideals. That’s an awesome advantage. Not to mention, you don’t have to go through the anxiety-ridden dating stage.

Self-care

As a single man, you have a ton of time to devote to yourself. Yes, you can be selfish. With no, or little, commitment you can put your health, diet, and fitness first. Oftentimes, when people get in relationships their partner’s needs impede on their own. They may wish for their single days when they could spend hours in a hot bath or stock their kitchen only with the healthy foods they enjoy. When healthy eating is a priority it’s great to have your home stocked full of healthy food to get rid of temptation. Being single, this is much easier because you’re the only one shopping. One list, one decision. With all this time you’ll see great increases in your mood, skills, and much lower stress. Truthfully, having to consider someone else’s wants and needs can be a stressor unto itself. Enjoy catering to your own wants and needs as long as you can. Or want.

Confidence

Tough times hit everyone. When you are single this can either get you down or you can force yourself to get stronger. With no one else to lean on you have no choice but to make the tough decisions and face the hard situations. With each situation conquered, you’ll build confidence and resiliency in your own abilities. These two traits often lead to success. Each rejection will only make you stronger because you’ll know that a rejection won’t kill you. It’ll only build your strength for the next tough time.

Being single is an amazing opportunity. Yes, that’s right, an opportunity. Some people never get the pleasure of being alone, of finding their own magnificent strength and being their own savior. Go forth and build the life you want. Alone.