No, this is not an ode to Beyoncé’s popular 2008 hit about “putting a ring on it”, nor is it a man bashing piece to rile you up and have you swear them off forever. Instead of all that, I’d like to shed a light on the beauty of single life.

Whether you’re single by choice or not, there is a certain freedom about this relationship status that should be embraced by those who are a part of it. Before I go any further, let me clarify my definition of the single status. A single woman is a woman who is unmarried, without a committed significant other and has no children. She is a woman who’s accountable only to herself.

Woman who are in this position have the opportunity to do whatever they want in life with virtually no strings attached. To those Debbie Downers, this is not the time to mull over your current situation. Instead, think of the glass as half- full and be optimistic about your opportunities. You can travel around the world, up and quit your job in pursuit of a new career goal, start your own business, hang out all night and get rip roaring drunk with friends, live where you want, see who you want, the possibilities are endless. If you’re a woman of these circumstances, now is the time for you to discover who you really are and what you ultimately want to do with your life. For those of you who already know these things, take the time to make them happen.

Then after you’ve finished soul searching, you can work on meeting your other half, for those who want to of course. It will be easier to weed out what you don’t want in a relationship once you know what you want for yourself.

Embrace this position in your life single ladies because you get to have “me time” all the time, and once that luxury goes away with the addition of a boyfriend, marriage, or kids, you’ll be wishing you could get some of it back.

For those of you that need more insight on the matter, check out Dr. O’s new book Am I in a Bad Relationship?

– Chassidy Goggins