Eight years ago, I wrote an article about being single. I was younger, a little impatient, and convinced that I had finally figured out life.

I ended that article with a line: “Relationships can wait. Improvement can’t.”

Eight years later, I’m still single.

And I thought it was time to revisit what I wrote back then.

Not because I’ve given up on love. Not because I couldn’t find someone. And certainly not because as people love to say “The grapes are sour.”

Life has simply taken its own course.

Over these eight years, I’ve met people. I’ve had conversations that lasted for hours, met people I genuinely liked and wondered whether something meaningful might come out of those connections. Some people stayed for a while, others became memories.

But none of those connections turned into a lasting relationship.

And that’s okay.

There is something strange about being single as you grow older.

When you’re 22 or 23, people tell you to enjoy your freedom, focus on your career, and explore life.

But somewhere around your late twenties, the questions begin to change.

“When are you getting married?”

“Haven’t you found anyone yet?”

“You’re too focused on your work.”

And my personal favourite: “Don’t wait too long, or you’ll regret it.”

As though finding a life partner is a deadline you might miss.

I understand where these questions come from. Most people mean well. But what we often forget is that everyone has a different journey.

Some people meet their person at 21. Some at 35. Some find love more than once. Others spend years searching.

There is no universal timeline for happiness.

__________

When I wrote my first article, I believed being single was the perfect opportunity for self-improvement.

I still believe that.

But today, I see things a little differently.

Back then, I thought I needed to become successful, financially independent, knowledgeable, and confident before thinking seriously about a relationship.

Over the years, I built my career, started a business, met people from different countries, travelled, made mistakes, lost opportunities, and created new ones.

I read books. I developed interests. I learned to enjoy my own company.

And somewhere along the way, I realised something.

Life doesn’t begin when you find someone. It’s already happening.

The places you visit, the friendships you build, the work you do, the people you help, the quiet evenings you spend alone all of it counts.

You don’t need someone standing beside you for those moments to become meaningful.
__________

But there are evenings when you wish you had someone to share your day with. Someone who understands your silence, celebrates your smallest achievements, or simply asks whether you’ve eaten.

Sometimes you see two people genuinely happy together, and you wonder what that must feel like.

And sometimes, despite having a busy schedule, good friends, professional achievements, and a comfortable life, you still feel that something is missing.

I’ve felt that too.

But I’ve learned that feeling lonely occasionally and living an unhappy life are two very different things.

You can be single and happy.

You can be in a relationship and lonely.

And you can be perfectly content with your life while still wishing to share it with someone.

These feelings don’t contradict one another.

They’re simply part of being human.
__________

One thing hasn’t changed in eight years.

I still believe that having someone who genuinely understands you, supports your ambitions, accepts your imperfections, and chooses to stand beside you is one of life’s greatest blessings.

I have never believed that relationships are unnecessary or that being single makes someone stronger or more independent than people who are committed.

In fact, I admire couples who have built something meaningful together.

An imperfectly perfect relationship, where two people continue choosing each other despite their differences, is something beautiful.

And yes, I would like to experience that someday.

But I no longer believe I need to put my life on hold until it happens.
__________

Perhaps the biggest difference between the person who wrote that article eight years ago and the person writing this one today is patience.

Back then, I wanted answers.

When would I meet someone? Why was everyone else finding love? Was I doing something wrong?

Today, I don’t have all those answers.

And strangely, I don’t feel the same urgency to find them.

I’ve come to understand that meeting someone and building a meaningful relationship are two entirely different things.

Attraction is easy. Conversations are easy. Even imagining a future together can be easy.

But finding mutual respect, emotional maturity, shared values, and the willingness to make things work takes much more.

I would rather take my time than enter a relationship simply because society thinks I’m running late.

That doesn’t mean waiting for a perfect person. Perfect people don’t exist, and neither do perfect relationships.

It simply means being thoughtful about a decision that can shape the rest of your life.

So, Am I Happy Being Single?

Most days, yes.

Some days, I wish things were different.

And I think that’s a perfectly reasonable answer.

I’ve stopped treating being single as a problem that needs solving.

There is so much more to life than relationship status. There are businesses to build, places to explore, books to read, friendships to nurture, families to care for, and countless things left to learn.

And if someone wonderful becomes part of that journey, I would welcome it wholeheartedly.

Not because my life is incomplete without them.

But because a good relationship can make an already meaningful life even more beautiful.

Eight years ago, I wrote: “Relationships can wait. Improvement can’t.”

Today, I would change that slightly. “Don’t stop living while waiting for someone to share your life with.”

Because love is worth finding.

But so is yourself.

And eight years later, I’m still learning both.

Written eight years after my first reflection on being single. Same person, different perspective, and a little more life experience.