The very definition of marriage – ‘the union of two people coming together to share their lives’ – refers to a partnership, a friendship, a cooperative of sorts, lives shared, the future planned and dreams made. And in today’s day and age, this is truer than ever. Gone are the days of getting married, building your dream house, having children, and staying together until the end – even if you hate each other. Here we share the secrets to a successful marriage.
These days, marriage is far more independent and practical, couples don’t need each other for as many things as they did in the past. Women are now on equal standing (almost) with men when it comes to work and finances. So the idea of marriage has moved away from being a union of necessity to being a union of two people who want to be together. But, this doesn’t always make for the ideal marriage and still needs hard work from both sides to make it work.
Here are a few ways to make your marriage last…and be happy while you are doing it!
Enjoy Separate Lives
It is vital that you both lead your own lives and have your own interests to make a marriage work. While too much space can cause a marriage to break down due to ‘workaholism’ or infidelity, too much dependence is a killer too. Each person in the partnership needs to have their own lives, interests, and be able to live as an individual. This not only makes for continuous interesting conversation but keeps the flame of love alive longer.
The Secrets to a Successful Marriage: Keep Dating
Keep Dating
It is important with today’s frenetic-paced lifestyle to take time out to spend time with each other. Set a date night each week and do something special without the interruption of work. Or treat yourselves to a weekend away every now and then. If there are children involved, it’s good for them to see this tradition as it will help instill the same values in them.
Compromise, Communication, and Hard Work
Like a car, a marriage needs maintenance and this requires working on it together every day, even if in little ways. Communicate with each other and be transparent, have an open table when it comes to dealing with issues. Learn to compromise if you want this partnership to last a lifetime. You need to learn everything about what makes your partner tick and work towards keeping the engine well-oiled and finely-tuned.
Marriage counseling can also help sustain a happy marriage, but you get what you pay for.
Read more about the cost of marriage counseling here:
https://www.regain.us/advice/marriage/free-marriage-counseling-you-get-what-you-pay-for/.
So do not skimp on working with a high-quality counselor, it will be worth it.
