Do you think it is possible for two individuals to live happily ever after? Yes and I’ve got 5 ways to make love last forever. If both the wife and the husband will put these ways into good use, a “happily ever after” movie scenario will definitely be possible. What are these keys to a lasting marriage?
- Cultivate Mutual Love. The first key to a lasting love is mutuality. If you want to achieve success in your marriage then you will need to work hard at a mutual love in your relationship. Loving married couples must remember to cultivate intense love and affection for each other. This requires an active choice to see the best in each other and accept imperfections. It has to go both ways though. You must each work at loving the other person and doing things to get earn that love in return. As you both work individually you will actually be working together as a couple.
- Show Respect. The second key to a lasting love is respect. If two married people really love each other then respect for each other must follow. Someone once said that respect is earned, but I happen to disagree. We show respect all the time when it’s not earned. We respect our elders because of their wisdom and high regard in society. We respect our children when we allow then to grow as individuals with their own unique interests and desires. We respect authority because of this position of power over us. The same is true of your partner. You need to show respect because he/she is your mate and a person worthy of respect. We need to be considerate and courteous. Though it is impossible for both partners to always have identical views on everything, learning how to give up control, respect the differences you see in your spouse and adjust to different perspectives can help.
- Learn to Acknowledge Little Things. In most cases learning to appreciate even the smallest thing your partner had done for you adds spice to a long-going marriage. For example, husbands should make a strong effort to acknowledge your wife’s new haircut, her outfit, her nails or even a simple dinner she cooked on a routine evening during the week. These little acknowledgments can go a long way to make our spouse feel special.
- Constant Communication. Open, honest and respectful communication that makes time for active listening and allowing the other person to speak without judgment or response will foster a sense of closeness and help love last forever. No matter how busy schedules get you need to carve out a little time for one-on-one communication. Although children and household management issues are important, communicating about those issues don’t count. This needs to be a communication about your relationship together and a mutual sharing about individual perspectives.
- Give Each Other Space Though marriage involves you and your partner, both of you should not restrict yourselves from growing as individuals. Both of you also need to spend time with developing friendships and personal hobbies and interests that is separate from your spouse. That may sound counterproductive, however, you are still an individual and your mate should be respecting your individual differences and interests. Chances are that you won’t share all the same interests anyway. Couples that learn to allow each other space for individual interests foster a sense of completeness that enmeshed or dependent relationships don’t have.
Indeed every marriage will have its own ups and downs but incorporating these 5 things into your relationship will go a long way to help make your love last forever and will be helping your spouse feel confident that their marriage will be happy and lasting.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Brandon is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor specializing in marriage therapy and sex therapy. He does counseling from a Christian world view and is located in Chattanooga Tennessee. You can find out more about Brandon through his listing in the directory.