“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.”
— Mignon McLaughlin
My clients often ask me about what makes a relationship work, so I decided to share three things I have learned in my own marriage. (My husband and I have been together for 13 years now.)
1. A relationship is either growing or it’s dying.
It does not stay the same. By making our relationship our top priority, it grows consistently, e.g., we spend time together (like going out on dates, getaways and simply making time to sit down and talk) and we share passions, like skiing/snowboarding, rollerblading, dancing and boating. When I asked my husband about the top things he appreciates about me (By the way, it’s a great question to ask your man as a way to remind him how awesome you are—but don’t forget to reciprocate!), one of his answers was, “Your devotion to growing our relationship.”
“Marriage is a mosaic you build with your spouse. Millions of tiny moments that create your love story.”
— Jennifer Smith
2. A growing relationship always has the elements of mystery and discovery.
Just like in dating, when you leave a man wanting more, the same applies in a relationship. Do not become an “open book.” Keep your own interests, a circle of close girlfriends and make time for yourself. My husband and I continue to surprise each other with aspects of ourselves that we didn’t know existed. For example, he caught me by surprise recently when he called to invite me for a special lunch, even though he has work that accumulated during our recent getaway.
“Love is the greatest gift when given. It is the highest honor when received.”
— Fawn Weaver
3. Keep alive an attitude of gratitude.
The foundation for growing a relationship is based on deep gratitude and appreciation for your partner. You can’t be upset, angry and resentful at him and, at the same time, feel gratitude for him being in your life. I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal for years and writing down what I am grateful for about my husband every day. Sometimes the gratitude I feel for him is so deep that it brings me to tears.
I constantly see couples who don’t realize these three simple yet powerful principles that can make or break a relationship.
As you date and get into a committed relationship with the right man, keep these three keys in mind so that you can enjoy the kind of relationship you want for a long time, maybe even a lifetime!
Did you know that seven out of 10 new relationships fail within the first year of being together?
I believe that finding lasting love means unlearning everything we have been taught our entire life, about what it really means to date and choose the right partner for you so that you can create an easy relationship that works. That is why I created this three-part live FREE training “Attract Your Man” so that you can discover the most effective, easiest and fastest way for busy professional women to find love without wasting time and energy on dating the wrong guys.
By the end of this free training, you will walk away with an entire roadmap for how you too can attract your ideal type of man. Click this link to register right now.