How To Save Your Marriage
Asking how to save your marriage is getting pretty common these days. Divorce rates are over 50% and I suppose that could be because very few parents provide any guidance to their children on how to select a marriage partner; probably because they were at a loss at the time themselves. So most of us had a bad start, so what, get over it, right? Actually, yes.
Past is prologue, as they say. Dwelling on the past is nothing but a recipe for unhappiness, discontent, even depression. One of the key themes I will be trying to get across here is that we have to look forward, be optimistic whenever possible, set a goal and then work to achieve it. Fortunately you do not have to do this all by yourself.
As I set about answering how to save your marriage, let me set the back drop just a bit. First, I will presume that the marriage you are trying to save is comprised of two people who loved each other at one time. Second, I will also presume that your wedding vows said something about “until death do us part”. Most people seem pretty quick to be willing to renege on that last one.
The leverage I am trying to gain with the part about the wedding vows is this: while I am not expecting two people to remain miserable all of their lives, I do think each person should be at least willing to exert some effort to repair your marriage before just giving up and throwing in the towel. And if there is physical abuse involved then I highly suggest putting enough distance between you to protect yourself. Sound fair?
Perhaps you can use that to help convince your spouse to at least listen to you if nothing else. Because there really is not that much we can do with just one of you. We need both of you to eventually sign on to the goal of saving your marriage and avoiding it ending up in a divorce.
So how do we start?
First, let’s make sure you understand that no marriage is ever going to be perfect. Anyone that spends much time watching American TV, especially soap operas, or movies is in severe danger of getting a warped idea of life in general and marriage in particular. Between the unrealistic exploitation of sex in almost all programming today and the perfect harmony of “Leave it to Beaver” of yesterday, the mind is overwhelmed with a lack of reality.
There are going to be ups and downs, good times and bad. That was probably in your wedding vows somewhere too, but we tend to want to put unpleasant things out of our minds or conveniently forget them.
Second, a successful marriage requires work! Few people go into a marriage realizing that. Is it bad that a marriage requires work? No, not at all. Actually, most anything in life of any value requires work in some way, other than maybe enjoying a sunrise, and for some people that might be work, too.
And the work of making a successful marriage requires effort from both spouses, somewhat in equal amounts usually. If the two of you really do love each other, you will enjoy the benefits of that work which should result in happiness for your spouse and that should bring happiness to you, too.
Third, sometimes you just need to forgive and forget. I know, somethings your spouse will do will seem unforgivable, they will refuse to acknowledge their guilt or the effect of what they have done and your brain will scream that it just isn’t fair. You know what? You’re right, it isn’t fair. But chances are there will be a little of that on both sides.
What I do know is that if you insist on keeping score throughout your marriage that you are seriously courting disaster for your marriage and unhappiness for yourself. Sometimes you just have to let the past go and move forward. Forgive them for what they have done in the same way you want to be forgiven for what you have done to them, either knowingly or unknowingly.
Fourth, you need to be able to communicate. When you were dating, talking came naturally and after a while you probably let your “shields” down. Unfortunately, little hurts here and there, a breakdown in the trust element of the marriage and the shields start sliding back into place.
Repairing your marriage is going to require that those shields come down again, but no one is going to expect that to happen overnight. We can get you some help in opening up to your spouse and getting him or her to open up to you. Be patient for now. Learning how to save your marriage is a bit more complex than we wish it were, but hang in there.
Fifth, try to out give your spouse. What do I mean by that? Well, it is an extension of the advice to not keep score; except you will keep score, sort of. OK, I’m not really trying to confuse you, just make a point. When you try to do something for your spouse, something that they do not deserve but you just want to do it because you love them, try to do so much for them in such an unselfish way that if someone really were keeping score, you would win.
Think about that for a minute. What if you both did that? Kinda cool, huh? You end up in a spiral of good, going up you might say, instead of a spiral of down – heading to divorce, when people play the fight fire with fire game instead. This can be very powerful.
But what if my partner does not cooperate?
Yes, this is a tough one. Back to the “it’s not fair” message that keeps running through our heads. If you really want to know how to save your marriage, here is a key secret:
Be willing to be the first to change
That is hard to do. You are doing everything right, being unselfish and your spouse is not reciprocating. In all honesty, that is how it might be for awhile, but you are committed to saving your marriage, aren’t you? Keep your eye on the prize – a healthy, happy marriage for both of you – and don’t give up. If your spouse ever did love you, the effects of you doing these things will eventually chip away the ice around their heart and they will join you in putting your marriage back together.
This may not be an easy process, but you can give yourself an unfair advantage.
The advantage is to have some help. Get the absolute best advice you can on how to save your marriage. In my opinion, the best resource you can get your hands on to give you specific ways to overcome problems in your marriage, such as lack of willingness of your spouse to help you repair your marriage and even get some secret methods to get what you really want is The Magic of Making Up.
The Magic of Making Up is a thorough, in depth how-to book on understanding your partner, love dynamics, and relationship repair. You can read testimonials of what it has done for others and be comforted in the knowledge that if it does not work for you it can be returned for a refund. There is no risk to give it a try.
Isn’t the hope of saving your marriage worth that? Click here to learn more.