By Katherin Scott, The Dating Coach

Have you ever looked at the relationship section in a bookstore?  If you're reading this, you probably have.  If relationships are so complicated, why don't they teach us how to do them in school? 

To help us all out, I've distilled the many secrets, recommendations, and advisories about relationships into eight keys that all great relationships have in common. 

 Master these, and you'll be a Relationship Genius.

1.   Laugh.  Um, together, not at each other.  All couples in great relationships laugh together a lot.  The couple that laughs together stays together.

2.   Apologize.  And "I'm sorry you were wrong" doesn't count.  Great relationships have humility in common.  You'll need to cultivate that.

3.   Forgive.  Let go once your partner apologizes - and sometimes, even when s/he doesn't.  Let past grievances stay in the past; don't drag them up over and over again.

4.   Argue.  Conceivably, people exist who think the same way and never need to resolve conflict.  Most of us, however, disagree from time to time.  In a great relationship, couples aren't afraid to disagree, and working through their disagreement brings them closer.

5.   Show appreciation.  Say, "Thank you so much for getting the groceries" and "You look especially nice today."  Show appreciation in non-verbal ways, as well, with hand-holding, smiles, and other tokens of affection.  Let your partner know your pride in being together.

6.   Enjoy each other's happiness.  If you are in a great relationship, you are happy because your partner is happy.  Your partner's happiness pleases you.  Even if what makes your partner happy (say, monster trucks) isn't exactly your cup of tea.

7.   Trust.  Couples in a great relationship are relaxed.  They have reason to trust each other, and they do.  They don't have to check up on each other.  They don't have to guard against opposite-sex friendships.  They're invested in a faithful relationship, and they stay committed to it.

8.   Maintain boundaries.  Even in a really, really, really great relationship, you are an individual with individual needs.  These needs may or may not be shared, understood, or valued by your partner.  You must say 'no' when something isn't good for you, even if it's good for your partner.  You must stand up for yourself or your point of view.  Since your partner's happiness is your own, you're not going to be pushing your boundaries on your partner in a hurtful way.  Healthy boundaries are necessary, for both of you.

Having a great relationship isn't complicated, and it's not hard.  It just requires commitment, a good sense of humor, a solid sense of self, and a lot of love.  Okay, maybe it's a little hard, but it's a good kind of hard.