A total stranger asked me where I got my weave.  Flattered, sort of, but my “weave” actually grows directly from my scalp.  Sometimes airport security people pat down my head because they’re suspicious I’m hiding something in my hair, so I wasn’t that shocked by her question. I told her my regimen after she asked for it and she shook her head, “nope, that doesn’t work for me.” Listen lady, if I knew the one-size-fits-all formula for every type of mane, I’d be rich. There’s not one solitary formula that works for all the curly q’s out there. My curly-haired friends, ya’ feel?  #frizz

If this is the case for hair, then it’s even more the case for dating (Duh. We’re talking about two incredibly unique human beings… not something inanimate).  There’s not a 10-step checklist that guarantees Mr. or Mrs. Right. The Buzzfeed that tells you otherwise could get you in trouble. There’s no one point to drop the “L” word or calendar of how long you must date before engagement, etc. Why?  Because we are each intricately crafted and original that it cannot all look the same! There is no one else on this earth that is you. In all of history in all of time and in the future to come, there will never be another you. Therefore, you have something unique to give the world and your life will certainly be different than the person to your left and to your right and the person you see on your screen.

Comparison = no bueno. I’ve wasted enough time comparing my life to others to know that comparison is not a good friend. OK, he is more like an enemy that I stupidly befriended and every day, often more than once, I have to kick him to the curb. No room for you here, buddy. Comparison is a liar that says “You’re not good enough.” If you listen to all the voices about who you should be or what your life should look like, you become deaf to the truth of who you are. In getting rid of comparison, I’ve realized that I am enough. It’s okay that my life looks different than others. And it’s certainly okay if my “love life” looks different than others.

You are unrepeatable.  And so is your love story.
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Megan Mastroianni speaks to high school and college students internationally, and teaches at a high school in Maryland.