The majority of people venture out to the married life expecting the best. Expecting it to be ideal, convenient, beautiful, and basically a "fairy tale" ending. It's perfectly normal to be excited & positive as newlyweds, the more optimism the better right? Well, I've been married for almost 2 years, I know we're still newbies, but I have learned a lot & those expectations aren't always true. Today, I want to share with you the reality of a "married life", the good, the bad, and the realness of it. Society is entirely caught up in this new age generation that blinds most from realizing it is okay to be married in your 20s, or be married period. However, ultimately everyone is entitled to their own belief and lifestyle. Now moving on, without further ado, these are a few things marriage has taught me so far:

It's okay to disagree. My husband and I are completely different, very, very different when it comes to most things. "Well why did you marry him?" you may be thinking, well they don't say opposites attract for no reason. A relationship is not about being the same, it's about compatibility. Simply because we don't have the same characteristics does not mean we can't intertwine and make it work. Communication is the beauty behind it all. You both have to be mature enough to learn about one another, accept each other's differences, and embrace them.

You are a team. I believe I've mentioned this on social media before. You won't always be love birds. Shoot, you won't always even like each other, but you will always be a team. You are his/her main support system. There shouldn't be another person/friend/relative that comes before your spouse. In order to keep the household functional you both put in the same amount of work. Obviously, husband and wife require different roles but it's always equal. He's no greater, nor are you.

Be humble. I honestly believe this is the greatest aspect of marriage that has changed me. I remember back in my high school days my weakness was my pride. I lost love before because of it. I have never believed in apologizing or being the first one to admit I was wrong, ever. Until I met my husband. Quite frankly, I struggle with this occasionally (very rarely) but it still happens at times. Being humble can be difficult, especially when you haven't been your whole life. However, it is one the most vital traits to have in a relationship. You have to be humble to succeed in marriage, point blank. This may come off blunt, but if you are a prideful spouse, please for your sake get your foot out of your butt and change. Trust me, from personal experience things just get worse because no one wants to live, much less be with a prideful woman/man for the rest of their life.

You don't just, give up. Oh my, I can't stress this enough! The reason why divorce is at a high percentage. We have people out here treating marriages like juvenile relationships. Nobody wants to put in real effort now a days. Yes marriage can get ugly, yes there will be times you think about leaving because clouded thoughts invade your mind, yes you start to think twice about your feelings. This will happen at a point in time, but you get through it, together. Of course you have to measure the seriousness of the problem, however, most issues can be resolved. I personally don't see divorce as a light matter. I don't like to think of it as an excuse to go astray from something that became difficult. You can't force things, but you sure can make them work.

God, spouse, you. I stand firmly on this one. This is definitely, by far the most vital rule of all. I do understand many people aren't religious or believe in God, and that's alright. In my perspective, however, this has been key to a happy marriage so far. Placing God first in our lives has improved our marriage in all aspects. I've experienced 360 changes in myself & my husband, we've clearly seen Gods work. You also have to think of your spouse's happiness. I've learned sacrifice in marriage is inevitable. Do I love my husband more than myself? Not necessarily, but I do love him enough to sacrifice my happiness if need be (this is also vice versa). Once you both stop thinking of your individual happiness, you begin to blossom as one.

I know this was a very straight forward post, one of the most blunt topics I've written about thus far. Hopefully I didn't offend anyone! I love you all, even if you don't see it from my perspective. This is simply what I've personally learned & a piece of genuine advice from me to you.

-D