In Gretchen Rubin’s book The Happiness Project she compiles a list of truisms about life as an adult – The Secrets of Adulthood.

While marriage is best when it involves two grown ups, relationships often have slightly different rules and truths.

So what are the Secrets of Marriage?

Here’s what I’ve come up (which include some of Gretchen’s ideas) … add your thoughts in the comments.

• It helps tremendously if you can laugh at yourself.
• Women really do enjoy flowers and chocolates.
• The quality of sex ebbs and flows.
• Laughter really does cure a lot.
• The same result does occur if you keep doing the same thing.
• Worries can be self-fulfilling prophesies. Let them go.
• Conflict will happen.
• Expectations are planned disappointments.
• Little things are the things you love the most.
• Learning more about anatomy really improves sex.
• It’s easy to be infected by your spouse’s mood, but you can only change yours.
• By doing a little bit each day, you can get a lot accomplished.
• Most decisions don’t require extensive research.
• The days are long, but the years are short.
• Happiness doesn’t always make you feel happy.
• What you do EVERY DAY matters more than what you do ONCE IN A WHILE.
• You don’t have to be good at everything.
• What’s fun for other people may not be fun for you–and vice versa.
• It’s okay to ask for help.

Your turn.