I’ve never really talked about my romantic relationships in my articles. I’ve passively mentioned a boyfriend, and later a breakup, but I’ve never really gone into any nitty-gritty details. People in my inner circle know what happened, and there’s only so much I’m willing to share on social media. One thing I am willing to talk about is everything I’ve learned through my experiences.

I am not a perfect person, and being in relationships has only proven that. I’ve made many mistakes, and I want to improve on those the next time I get into a serious relationship. So, here are a few things that I’ve learned about relationships.

Not everything has to be a fight.

Not every action requires a reaction; sometimes it’s enough to say, “Hey, that hurt my feelings,” and move on. Making an argument of everything isn’t going to solve every problem. If anything, it will only create new ones. I’m tired of fighting over petty things, and in the future, I want to just be able to talk things out.

Communication is key.

Maybe this is a cliche, but there’s truth in every cliche. There are so many issues can be resolved by simply addressing them in the first place. Even talking about feelings, whether there’s an issue or not, can improve things in the long run.

It’s in the little things.

When in a long-term relationship, it can start to feel very comfortable, and that sometimes means that romantic gestures are no longer a regular thing. While grand gestures don’t have to be a common thing, showing appreciation in the smallest of ways is always going to be welcome.

Know what you deserve.

Too often I have settled for being treated as “less than." I have put up with rude behavior, bigotry, ignorance, among other things, and I let it slide because I didn’t know that I deserved better. Never again will I let a man (or anyone for that matter) treat me lesser than I know I deserve.