Waiting for love to happen will get you nowhere
You have to kiss a thousand toads before you find your prince is the fairytale advice with a practical spin. Partly true because waiting around in the four walls of your home for Mr of Miss Right to walk up to your door or into your life is expecting a miracle. It may or may not happen, the chances of the latter are high. Take charge of your life, go out and meet new people, date some but don’t expect too much. Just focus on spending time and meeting new people. Let the relationship take its course. Don’t force anything, somewhere along the line, you will find your match.

Both of us should share the same interests
Having the same interests does not guarantee instant happiness. In fact, it could just lead to boredom. A couple can have different interests, hobbies, passions and still be totally in love with each other. So, when you’re out there looking, don’t just say no to someone because you don’t have common interests. You might still be perfect for each other.

You can’t survive on love and fresh air
You need lots of love in your life, but that’s just one aspect. As you move on with everyday life, you will have to deal with all kinds of problems and issues. Work, money and kids will affect your relationship in different ways, and you will have to be prepared to work through it all.

Don’t try to change someone
Don’t let your happiness depend on someone, and don’t make the mistake of thinking that things will be perfect once your partner has changed his/her personality drastically to fit your idea of what he or she should be. Your partner is not someone who can be tailored and customised to be a perfect fit. Neither is he or she a project that is a work in progress. If you are not happy with what you see, move on.

You will not always be right, there will be fights
Where life ends at the movies with a happily ever after, it begins in real life. And while all those romantic clips of the happy couple living in wedded bliss paint a rosy picture of what’s to come, it’s best you throw away those rose-tinted glasses and look at life practically. There will be fights and arguments and you both will disagree at some point. However, that’s not the end of the road, you will have to sort things out, and work as a team, learning from your mistakes together.