We were on the TikTok. Havin' a sleuth. When we came across this clip of American actress and producer Viola Davis talking about relationships and how you need to "marry the every day".
It's a beautiful statement - and it got us thinking. In the world of relationships and looking for love - the ups, downs and in-betweens can be rough AF. It can be exhausting. Defeating. Really f**king tricky.
But the whole wanting to be loved thing and getting to love someone else thing makes it all totally worth the hard slog, right?
Sometimes, though - you just need a wee bit of help trying to work it all out.
Watch: How to communicate anger with your partner. Post continues below.
That's why we asked Mamamia readers to share the best relationship advice they've ever received.
Here's what they said.
The best dating and relationship advice.
1. My mother told me as a teenager that love was a matter of geography. I didn’t understand what she meant at the time, but she was saying that there isn’t just ONE person out there to love - there were many. And it just depended on who I met at the time and the place I was in at the time. It has certainly proved to be true throughout my life. It also saved me from being hung up on searching for my PERFECT soulmate.
2. My papa always told me: "Avoid the peacocks and show ponies. Look for genuine kindness and a good nature."
3. You don’t always have to be on the same page but you do need to read each other’s book.
4. My step mum told me relationships/marriages are just ebbs and flows. For a period of time they're you're best friend, then your lover, then your house mate. It's not 100 per cent all of the time and it's not firey all of the time, and that's life.
5. My grandmother said: "Start every relationship like it will be forever. Never do everything for them - if you stay together it will never end!"
6. Do not let what he wants eclipse what you need. He is very dreamy, but he is not the sun; you are. (Thank you, Grey's Anatomy).
7. My grandmother told me it’ll be a case of ‘the planets aligning’, not the perfect soul mate sweeping me off my feet. She was so right! I wasted a lot of time looking for ‘the one’ when, in fact, there are many beautiful people out there and we get to choose the right one based on priorities and stage of life. It’s liberating!
8. My 83-year-old grandma told me to love them all and marry none of them!
...Speaking of, have a listen to this episode of The Undone, where Lucy and Em discuss how to really know if you're settling in a relationship. Post continues after podcast.
9. When someone shows themselves to you, believe them. They know themselves better than anyone.
10. Pick the hill you’re willing to die on! It helps keep the topics you’re arguing about in proportion. Helps you identify the important stuff.
11. "When looking for a life partner, my advice to women is date all of them: the bad boys, the cool boys, the commitment-phobic boys, the crazy boys. But do not marry them. The things that make the bad boys sexy do not make them good husbands. When it comes time to settle down, find someone who wants an equal partner. Someone who thinks women should be smart, opinionated and ambitious. Someone who values fairness and expects or, even better, wants to do his share in the home. These men exist and, trust me, over time, nothing is sexier." - Sheryl Sandberg.
12. Respect each other's individuality.
13. Never compare your relationship to others.
14. I’ll do me, you do you… and when we are together, we will do we.
15. If the success of your relationship depends on your partner changing, then the relationship has already failed.
16. Remember that a marriage is about every day after the wedding.
17. Start out the way you mean to carry on.
18. You should be friends above all else.
19. You'll never have to negotiate your way into a heart that wants you there.
20. Don’t forget to date. Don’t get caught up in the business of life - remember to make time for each other.
21. Learn to go to sleep (or take time out) after an argument rather than trying to solve it on the spot. That way you can address it rationally with less emotion.
22. "Never let a man show you twice that he doesn’t want you." - From none other than Steve Harvey.
23. If a person is interested in you, they'll move heaven and earth to be with you.
What's your best relationship advice? Share with us in the comment section below.
Feature image: Getty; Mamamia
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