Every married couple will inevitably, at some point of time, ponder upon how to have a successful relationship with his/her life partner. Of course, everybody wants a healthy family following after they are married.
As a matter of fact, most marriages started off well initially. However, as time passes by, a number of marriages turn sour and harsh. Research shows that most couples that experienced those change in their marriage will seek ways to salvage their marriage. It is always good to take precautionary measures to prevent such bad turn of event. Prevention is better than cure, as the saying goes. Now, here’s a tip for you to having a successful relationship – there are five keys to a successful relationship that you’ll need to be aware of.
5 Keys to a successful relationship
1. Prioritize yourself.
If the highest priority in your life is yourself, be it physical-wise, emotional-wise, intellectual-wise or even spiritual-wise, you will no longer wake up in the morning every day, thinking that you have made yourself a financial slave for your family or merely their meal provider since years ago.
You should encourage your spouse to place priority on him/herself since the initial stages of your marriage. That way, you’ll be able to rely on each other in times of difficulty. If your partner does not feel happy staying in the marriage, chances are they will not attempt to reconcile or work things out when things turn bad.
2. Be yourself.
You are yourself. Don’t confuse yourself that you are your partner. Live the way you want to live even after you’re married.
Women in different parts of the world usually fell to the trend of «merging» their life with their spouse’s. Sometimes, this happens to men too. This phenomenon is what we term as «co-dependency».
Once you realize that you are «assimilating» your life with your spouse’s, try to work on getting out of that state. Demand or fight for your rights to be your own individual. Do expect the same from your spouse too. When one person tries to live the life of another person, the marriage begins to crack.
3. Grow together.
If your partner is a human, he or she will tend to grow, and as they grow, they change. That’s the nature of life. Growth may happen physically, emotionally, intellectually, or even spiritually. Growth could take place in an instant, or it may take place gradually over time. Nevertheless, growth is an inevitable phenomenon that no couples can avoid.
Let’s think about it. Parents love to see their child grow. And as they grow, they change. Why would couples see growth in their spouse any different?
You shouldn’t be fearful of growth. To have a successful marriage, you have to venture through the growth stage together with your spouse. Watching your spouse evolves into a better person could be as fun as watching your kids growing up!
Sometimes, you’ll be in a situation where you couldn’t understand why your spouse decides to change. Bear in mind that your support is very important to your spouse. Think of it in another way, do you wish that you spouse would support your decision when you decide to change?
Very often I hear people say, «He (or she)’s not the man (or woman) I married.» Something is really wrong here. Or this is even worse, «That’s just the way I am – I can’t change.» These couples just don’t understand what makes a successful marriage!
4. Do things together, and laugh together!
Regardless of the challenges that you’re facing, or how stressful life is, do things that you both enjoy together – just for both of you to laugh out loud. People say laughter is the best medicine. Believe it or not, the moments when a couple laugh together are the moments that are deeply imprinted in their minds. Ignore this at your own risk!
5. Stay loyal at all times…
No matter how bad things get, never resort to having an affair with a third person.
No doubt that you might experience the excitement that you’ve never had with your spouse, but this breakage of trust is the main reason why some marriages end in sadness.
The trust that is breached by an affair is never easy to regain, even with the help of professional counsellors. A crack is a crack. No matter how well you mend it, there is no way for it to revert back to its perfect condition.
If excitement is what you’re looking for, then there are plenty of other healthier ways for you to embrace that feeling. Think of the reason for your marriage in the first place. Very often, the answer to that also tells you how to have a successful relationship with your spouse.