JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE December 2015 | Page 218

a girl you want to treat like a partner. Don’t disparage your SO behind their back. Confidence isn’t “I know she likes me”, confidence is “I’ll be okay whether she likes me or not.” There are a number of people you can be compatible with. No one is perfect. You have to work at love. You’re not required to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm. Marry the one who gives you the same feeling you get when you see food coming at a restaurant. The grass is not greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it. Stop trying to find the right person and start trying to BE the right person. The person who cares least in the relationship has the most control. Don’t fall in love with your waitress, hooker, or therapist. It’s better to be happy than to be right. Always be the first to genuinely apologize after a fight. You can’t expect someone to love you when you can’t love yourself. Just because you liked the friend-version of someone doesn’t mean you’ll like the relationship-version of them. Before you move in with your partner, go on a road trip with them. Don’t be afraid to open up and be vulnerable. Vulnerability can bring you closer together and strengthen the two of you. When you and your SO are arguing, remember—it’s you JOY FEELINGS | DECEMBER ISSUE 218