Do you want to keep your marriage from ruining the rest of your life? Well, you pretty much have a 50/50 chance of keeping your marriage together if you believe the statistics regarding the number of marriages that end in divorce each year. Now, I propose to you that it's not that difficult to keep your marriage together and avoid getting caught up in the rat race that gets you what you want instead of what you need.
You see, to keep your marriage together you and your mate simply need to avoid some of the potholes in life that can easily steer your marriage down the wrong path. To keep your marriage on the right road you need to make sure you don't get trapped.
Ok, what are these traps I'm saying to avoid that will help your marriage and keep you together?
Keep Your Marriage - Avoid Trap # 1
The first trap to avoid if you want to maintain your relationship is to make sure you don't allow friends and family to have significant input into your marriage. It is very easy for folks to advise you on all aspects of marriage from where to live, how many kids to have, how to be married yet maintain your own identity or how to be the ideal spouse.
Don't get me wrong but it's very easy to get use to discussing your marriage with others. You will get so comfortable that you will often times have others shape your attitude or opinion and cloud your ability to effectively communicate. In fact, if you want to keep your marriage strong you will discuss the important aspects of your marriage with the most important person, your spouse.
Keep Your Marriage - Avoid Trap # 2
Working to provide a secure, safe and abundant lifestyle for your family can also lead to a disastrous end to your marriage if you don't keep your guard up. I understand that these difficult financial times that we live in requires extra effort to just keep your job. However, there is a healthy balance you must strike between work and family.
You must constantly examine your work schedule and priorities. Are you doing enough to try to be efficient during regular work hours so you can get home to your family? Are you delegating tasks that others should be doing? Why are others getting home early enough or are off on weekends to attend kids sporting events or weekend getaways but you never find the time to do so?
If you can't easily recall the dinners, events or quality family times you have had over two week periods you probably are caught in the trap of thinking you have to sacrifice family time to be a good provider. Unfortunately, what you are doing is keeping your marriage and family from receiving the love and support they need from you.
Sure, they will remember the nice house, cars and annual vacations but what you will here from your spouse during the divorce is that you were never there physically or emotionally. Your kids, if you have any, will let you know that you weren't there for games or plays or important milestones.
Keep your marriage simply by choosing to be at home and not looking out the office windows at dinner time or on weekends.
Work extra hours when you have to not because you think you need to. Just because your boss (who may be divorced, separated and miserable) stays to midnight it doesn't mean you should too, unless you also want to be divorced, separated and miserable.
I hope you keep your marriage happy and healthy by avoiding the traps that can easily ruin your marriage and family. You don't have to end up on the wrong side of the marriage statistics.
You control your marriage story. Do you end up trapped and suffering in a bad marriage for years before getting a divorce or do you avoid the traps and live happily ever after?
The choice is yours. What will you do?
