By Colette Crawford, Contributor 
Contributed Photo
I'M THE first to admit that being single is not always an easy road. Like any other situation in life it has its moments.
I hope to one day share my life with someone special but until that person comes along I am not going to mope and complain about how lonely I feel and sit and watch life pass me by while I wait for Mr. Right. The last time I checked, life offered too much for me to play mere observer. Single or not I have only one life to live and I intend to live it well.
I know too many people whose fear of being single has pushed them into relationships that serve to destroy their self-esteem and kill their spirit. How we view ourselves as single persons will largely affect how much we enjoy being solo. I have adopted a number of principles that have done wonders for my attitude and have offered me encouragement to stay focused and appreciate my single status. I would love to share them with you.
STOP WAITING AND START
LIVING!
Take your life from the unconsciousness 'hold' and place it on the 'active' burner. Get out and enjoy it. I had a friend who opted to stay home on Valentine's Day because she felt that without a man she could not enjoy herself. You can enjoy yourself with your friends just as much, or even more, but you won't know unless you try it.
GET COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR SELF
You have to fall in love with yourself and get comfortable with who you are - the person you wake up to and who you see in the mirror every day. That means spending time with you. To share yourself or give love to another comes after you know what loving yourself means.
EMBRACE LIFE TO ITS FULLEST
Too many people have lives filled with a lot of "ifs" and "regrets". Be willing to play with the sweet smelling blooms of life. Be open to new experiences, you may prick your fingers on the thorns but you stand to only learn from it and grow stronger.
BE ARMED WITH THE F.F.M AMMUNITION
Fill your life with good friends, good food, and good music. Allison Peart of Excelsior High School in Kingston introduced me to this and she was right - there's just no other way to effectively combat feeling sad or lonely.
LAUGH EVERYDAY
It makes your heart lighter and your face brighter.
APPRECIATE YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND STOP ADMIRING THE GRASS ON THE OTHER SIDE
Relationships offer their own share of challenges. Comfort yourself in knowing that many persons on the other side of the fence think your side is definitely greener.
ALWAYS GIVE THANKS
My favourite thing to do at the end of every day is to simply give thanks. I always find much more to be thankful for than to complain about. I try to remember that there will always be somebody who has much worse to deal with. So hey, I may be single but so what? I'm still living one heck of a life, and I'm ensuring that I enjoy every minute of it.
What's on your mind? Tell us and we'll publish it in this space we've created especially for you. It could be a quirky observation or a serious note, we only ask that you keep it to about 350 words (include a recent photograph and a phone number or an address). We also welcome your letters. Send your views to Flair Co-ordinator Fax: 922-6223; e-mail: bellington@gleanerjm.com or gcameron@gleanerjm.com; by mail: 7 North Street, Kingston.
