We get it – meeting that special someone, falling in love, and dreaming of a beautiful and perfect happy marriage. Somehow the “getting married” part is super exciting and dreamy, and the “staying married” part can sometimes be a bit more challenging.
We get marriage.
We get how real it is.
We understand the ups and the downs that come with each marriage.
We believe that marriage can, and should be, vibrant, beautiful, and meaningful. Marriage can be an incredibly wonderful journey for both parties involved. We have learned that the secret ingredient to a happy marriage is choosing to NURTURE your marriage. “Happily ever after,” can be a reality, but it requires effort, determination, and commitment – from both spouses. It requires you choose love, day after day and week after week.
Every marriage has its ups and downs and we have yet to meet a happily married couple that hasn’t endured bumps in the road. As we’ve traveled the road of life together (and continue to do so), we’ve discovered some key principles that make marriage meaningful. We call these keys the “6 Pillars,” to nurturing a happy marriage. Here is a little overview of each of the six pillars and how they can help nurture your marriage, today.
6 Keys to Nurturing A Happy Marriage
The Little Things – Every day you have the choice to attend to the little things in your marriage. Little things like picking up your socks, kissing your wife goodbye as she heads out to work, washing the dishes, picking up his favorite cereal at the store, and leaving a little sticky note hinting at a fun night in bed. Choose to be intentional about expressing love and loyalty in little ways, and watch how your marriage grows and changes for the better.
Date Night – You and the love of your life need a night out on a regular basis to rekindle the romance in your marriage. To focus on each other. To talk. To laugh. To have fun. To create memories. If you haven’t been on a planned date in a while, ask your spouse out (just do it)! Then go have fun together. Open her door. Hold his hand. Put away the smart phones and enjoy each other’s presence. A consistent date night will give you both something wonderful to look forward to. If you are looking for some creative date ideas, check out these 10 Great Winter Date Ideas.
Intimacy – Intimacy, in all its forms, is critical to cohesiveness and happiness in marriage. You and your spouse know everything about each other. You can be real, vulnerable, and open with each other. You can be completely transparent with each other – all while feeling safe, loved, and cared about. You can share your whole self with each other, which is the most beautiful part about marriage. If you feel that intimacy in your marriage has become bland and boring, check out these three quick solutions to inspire your sex life.
Values to Live By – Marriage is about becoming. It’s about stretching yourself to be better each and every day. When both spouses are focused on becoming their best selves, and making the sacrifices necessary to do so, you’re bound to succeed! Having shared values is a key part of a healthy foundation for a happy marriage. When was the last time you told your spouse everything you love about them? Their strengths, characteristics, and traits that bless your marriage? When you and your spouse focus on the good in each other, and on shared values like loyalty, trust, honesty, and respect, you will notice a big difference in the quality of your marriage.
Routines & Rituals – Your marriage is full of routines and rituals that you may not even recognize are there. Just think of it – the nicknames you have for each other, your special place, the way you celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, and even the way you kiss goodnight right before you go to sleep. Routines & rituals, such as these bedtime rituals, offer couples multiple opportunities a day to be intentional and consistent about nurturing their marriage.
Conflict Resolution – When two different people fall in love and get married, it is natural for there to be some conflict, some differences in views, and some realization of habits or quirks that bug each other. Though hard, conflict has the power to draw you closer together, to teach you to truly listen to each other, and to give you the chance to recognize room for improvement in your own life. Conflict invites you to sacrifice, to be selfless, and to let love and respect govern your relationship with your spouse. Conflict can actually lead to some of the sweetest experiences in married life because it gives both spouses the opportunity to forgive and forget (and sometimes you just have to kiss it out!).
We believe that marriage matters, a lot! Your marriage matters! And your marriage needs constant nurturing to keep love alive. By applying these six pillars to your marriage, you will find that it will become more beautiful and meaningful than you can ever imagine.
Do you feel like you’ve fallen out of love with your spouse and wish you knew how to get it back?
My new seven day e-course is designed to do just that with easy and tangible ways to fall back in love with your spouse! It is powerful and effective and only requires a few minutes a day.
Liz is a just a mom trying to keep it real about how little she sleeps, how often she gets puked on and how much she loves them. You can find her here every day writing about real-mom moments.
Marriage is such a blessing and can be such a wonderful bond between two people if you take the time to care for and nurture the relationship. Just because you are married doesn’t mean you should stop working on your relationship. If you want to keep your marriage strong and healthy you have to work at it….hard!