All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten is a book of essays written by Robert Fulghum that I've only heard about but haven't laid my hands on yet.
The book's title apparently came from the first essay which enumerates the things the author learned in kindergarten which he thought should be practiced by everyone. Having read that, I was inspired to come up with my own kind of list...
All I Really Need To Know I Learned While Being In A Relationship
- Be honest but tactful. Words can hurt and it's not like we can take back anything that's already been said by just a mere 'sorry'.
- Accept that no two persons are the same. As much as there are common things that we share with our partners, there are differences that can prove to be an annoyance to us as well. What we have to know is that we're never going to be able to change someone if that's how or who he/she really is. From somewhere in the internet it says:
"It's like living with our own body. Sometimes it's a blessing, other times a nuisance. Sometimes it gives us a lot of satisfaction. Other times it drives us mad, but there is not much we can do about it cause it's our own."Strive... to enhance or improve someone, not overhaul.
- Maintain levelheadedness during arguments. I know it is never easy. Oftentimes, we think that what we believe and feel is right and our partner's - wrong. We hope that they be able to know our minds work and understand how we think. Then again, it's important that we also understand that what may seem obvious to us may not be for them so take time to explain well where one is coming from.
- Be more understanding. When times get rough and stressful, it's not impossible for someone to be moody and high tempered even when dealing with people. We should not take it personally against them and just be 'there'.
- Do not expect. Most of our disappointments come from expecting someone to do something for us just because that's how we think it should be. Be happy and appreciate little things. Those little things mean the most.
- Never take things for granted. Subconsciously we might think that no matter what, our special someone won't stop loving us. With that, we tend to make uncalled-for actions thinking there will be no consequences soon after. We think that it's better for them to see all our flaws because they should be loving us for who we are. But that's not how it goes. Instead, we should remember that they too can get hurt even if we know and say that we won't do anything to hurt them.
There's probably many other things supposed to be included here. Some I might have forgotten... or some, I'm still about to learn.
