Do you know what all happy and healthy marriages have in common?
In every one of them you will find two people committed to making
each other happy. You will find a man who cherishes his wife and
puts her needs above his own, and you will find a wife who
respects and trusts her man. We live in very selfish times.
Pop-psychology messages are everywhere in the media encouraging us
to love ourselves, do right by ourselves, and generally please
ourselves first. If you really want a happy marriage, don’t buy
into that type of self-centered thinking. Instead, try these 10
time-tested techniques and experience the happiness, peace, and
tranquility of a healthy marriage.
1. Make time for each other. It’s so easy in our hyper-busy
modern lifestyles to forget to set aside a little time to enjoy
each other’s company. Start a weekly tradition of setting a date
for the two of you to be together doing something you both enjoy.
Keep it simple. Take a nice walk together. Sip coffee together in
a cozy coffeehouse. Talk to each other, reminisce, and get to know
each other again.
2. Take time off from each other. Give each other space and
time to work on hobbies and personal interests. When you have an
interesting project to work on, you will feel more fulfilled and
you will be a more interesting person.
3. Make little romantic gestures. Remember to compliment your
spouse. Leave a little love note for them to find once in awhile.
Celebrate the day you first met. Send flowers for no particular
reason. You should continuously make little deposits in your
spouse’s emotional bank account. The return on your investment
will be incredible.
4. Fight fair. Don’t argue in front of other people. Don’t
insult each other or each other’s families. Never threaten
divorce, and never go to bed angry. Let the little things go, and
don’t make a big deal out of every disagreement. Before arguing,
think; is this really going to matter in the long run?
5. Take interest in what interests your spouse. Watch their
favorite shows with them. Read their favorite book, so you can
talk about it with them. Encourage them to develop their talents.
6. Listen to your spouse. Husbands, remember that women need to
express their feelings. Be a good sport and just listen. Don’t
interrupt, or get distracted. Empathize with her. Let her know
that you can relate to what she’s feeling. Ladies, please
remember that the kind of talk you might like to have with your
husband does not come naturally to most men. Just be patient.
It’s not a good idea to “unload” on him right when he comes
home from work.
7. Accept your spouse for who they are. Practice total
acceptance. Don’t hold your spouse to your expectations; you
will only succeed at building resentment.
8. Express your commitment. In little ways, you can, and
should, renew your vows to each other over and over. Your spouse
will feel comfortable and secure knowing that you are truly
committed to the marriage. True closeness will only happen when
all doubt and insecurity is replaced by confidence in the
relationship. Let your spouse know that you really are in it
“till death do us part.”
9. Trust in each other. Don’t be suspicious. Don’t snoop
through each other’s belongings. To help ensure the trust, be
honest with your spouse in all things. Never keep secrets from
each other, not even little ones.
10. Make it your aim to be your spouse’s best friend.
Appreciate your spouse for who they are. Loosen up and have fun
with each other. If you are practicing the steps above, you are on
your way to being your spouse’s best friend – the ultimate
relationship in marriage.
About The Author
Slade Hartwell, Webmaster at http://www.ezromantic.com/home.html
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