- Monday, you’re the asshole. Tuesday, they’re the asshole. Forgive each other. These are not permanent conditions.
- Your spouse is not meant to fill every assigned role in your life. Yes, they are your best friend, but you also have other friends.
- Approach your lives together with an “Attitude of Gratitude.”
- Don’t be a Debby Downer. Support each other’s dreams and ambitions. Not everything will work out every time, but you’re in it together.
- Learning to be unselfish is an act of true love.
- Kiss everyday.
- You do marry the family. Map out your boundaries and commitments early on.
- Understand that you both carry baggage from your lives before each other, and consider how this contextualises your approaches to conflict.
- Respect your spouse’s need for alone time.
- You don’t have to like the same things but it is important to have a few shared interests. These touchpoints fortify the life you’re building together.
- Mutual respect is paramount.
- Before you even marry, make sure this is a person you’re just happy to hang out with for extended periods of time.
- Be their cheerleader. Always have their backs.
- Be independent in yourselves. You have different ID numbers, you are individuals in the eyes of Bank and State.
- Love with abandon, with abundance and no expectations.