Can You Be Single and Happy?

Can You Be Single and Happy?
By Emily Battaglia, LifeScript Staff Writer First Published March 19, 2007

Are you hanging onto a relationship simply because the thought of flying solo sends shudders down your spine? Do you view marriage as the only way to give your life meaning? Well, listen up! Being single does not bar you from an accomplished, fulfilled and happy life. Whether you’re newly solo or single and looking, being on your own could be the best thing that ever happened to you. Just ask Jerusha Stewart, self-proclaimed “last single girl in the world” and author of The Single Girl’s Manifesta (Sourcebooks, Inc., 2005). She shares her tips on how to embrace all that the single life has to offer…

Squelching the Single Stigma

Welcome to a new generation where single women can, and should, feel OK with their solo status, whether it’s a conscious decision or a temporary circumstance. After all, according to 2005 census data, 51% of women live without a spouse…and mostly by choice. “Fifty percent of people are single – that’s a lifestyle!” says Stewart, who interviewed more than 200 single women and men of all demographics and talks about her own solo experiences in her Manifesta.

So, why aren’t more women happier without a significant other? A lot of women put their lives on hold when they’re single, forgoing the full life they could be living. Worse, some feel like failures if they’re sans man. It’s not a lifestyle that most people were brought up to live, Stewart points out. Plus, it’s easy to start doubting yourself when others question your ability to find a partner or insist on asking if there’s anyone special yet.

Reprinted with permission from LifeScript.com