The Universe Says "Don't Grind Your Teeth"

If you live on social media like the majority of Americans, you've probably learned two things in the past few days:

1. Yesterday was October 3rd.
2. How I Met Your Mother Season 8 is now on Netflix.

If you're anything like me, you probably got unnecessarily excited about the latter and proceeded to watch every episode. (Worth it.) Also, if you're anything like me, you probably get ridiculously emotionally invested in sitcoms of this nature. You probably compare yourself to one or all of the characters, and you try to figure out which of your friends is most like all the other characters. (My roommate is Robin.)

I'm not really sure who I am. I certainly have some things in common with Lily, but I haven't found a Marshall. At this stage in my life, and I'd imagine a lot of people are in this same boat, I'm a Ted. I haven't found my soulmate, I occasionally fall for the wrong person, and when I'm really desperate I start looking up everyone who grinds their teeth in New York so I can find that person I shared a look with on the bus. (JK. I don't live in New York.) Anyway...

Sometimes it gets really frustrating to be Ted. You want to be happy for your friends, but a part of you is still jealous and insecure. You know people love you, but you still get lonely from time to time, and no matter how many times you tell yourself that he/she is out there, your thoughts keep coming back to the disheartening possibility that he/she just doesn't exist.

Sometimes you really get your hopes up. You meet someone who seems to have jumped straight out of your dreams, and someone says exactly the right thing, and someone just happens to have this birthday, or this favorite food, or this height, and you think, surely -- it's a sign! The universe is telling me that this is my soulmate, right? Right?? They have to be! If not... Maybe there are no signs... Because maybe that person isn't real... And maybe you're never going to find them.

It's times like these when you have to listen to your voice of reason, because you know what? You have nothing to worry about. You just have to lift your head up and say:

"Maybe it's dumb to look for signs from the universe, maybe the universe has better things to do - and dear God, I hope it does. Do you know how many signs I've gotten, how I should and shouldn't be with someone? Where has it gotten me? Maybe there aren't any signs. Maybe a locket's just a locket; a chair's just a chair. Maybe we don't have to give meaning to every little thing. Maybe we don't need the universe to tell us what we really want. Maybe we already know that. Deep down." - Ted Mosby

So let this be a sign from the universe. Keep looking, but don't be surprised if you have to wait awhile. The best things always have the best timing.