How to Make Your Marriage Healthy
COMMITMENT
True
commitment means much more than simply committing to staying married. Genuine commitment
involves being committed to the growth and best interest of your partner.
“Commitment unlocks the doors of imagination,
allows vision, and gives us the "right stuff" to turn our dreams into
reality and unless commitment is
made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.”
COMMUNICATION
Without
exclusion, every couple struggles with effective communication. Part of the
reason is that two people with the exact same communication style hardly ever
marry each other.
To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different
in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.
TEAMWORK
Use the five
most important words in marriage: “Let’s try it your way.”
“No problem is insurmountable. With a little courage, teamwork and
determination a person can overcome anything.”
MEETING
EMOTIONAL NEEDS
Discover and
then meet the emotional needs of your partner, How? Simple. Just ask!, be
observant and be sensitive.
“What is important to a relationship is
a harmony of emotional roles and not too great a disparity in
the general level of intelligence”
RESOLVING
CONFLICT
Conflict in
marriage is predictable, fighting is optional.
“Whenever
you're in conflict with
someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your
relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude.”
APOLOGY AND
FORGIVENESS
On a regular
basis, practice the three A’s of successful relationships: Apologize for
something from the past, Appreciate something in the present, Anticipate
something in the future.
Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future
and never ruin an apology with an excuse. Sincere forgiveness isn't colored with expectations that
the other person apologize or change. Don't worry whether or not they finally
understand you. Love them and release them. Life feeds back truth to people in
its own way and time.
CREATING A
RELATIONSHIP VISION
Ask yourself
and each other this question: “If we knew we couldn’t fail, and we could design
our relationship any way that we wanted it, how would we like to be?”
“Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with Vision is making a positive
difference.”