Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Important Questions to Ask Before Getting Married
 by: Emily Kensington

It's time to get introspective! By taking the time to honestly assess your feelings and your motivations, you will be able to ascertain your degree of readiness for marriage.

Ask yourself the following questions:


What do I love about my partner?


As a psychotherapist specializing in couples and marital therapy, one of the first things I ask is “What do you love about one another?" If the answers indicate little depth, serious trouble is indicated. Replies such "because she's pretty” or "he's fun” are troubling signs, indicating surface attraction. Once, to my horror, a client replied "Because we like the same kind of pizza.” Needless to say, this is not a foundation for a long lasting relationship!


Happily, after considerable introspection, many couples are able to identify their attraction to positive partner qualities such as compassion, intelligence, and an ability and willingness to communicate effectively. After all, if you can't talk openly with your partner, the relationship is not solid. Perhaps more important, self-aware couples are able to recognize areas for potential growth, and develop a plan to jointly work on their relationship.


Some, especially new, couples may view such questioning as cynically casting doubt upon their whirlwind romance. Nonetheless this type of critical self-reflection is vital in determining ultimate compatibility. Indeed, it doesn't take a relationship advice guru to realized that a little work now could save a lot of heartache later.


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Why am I asking this person to marry me?


For example, are you proposing because your partner is pregnant? If that's your primary reason for getting hitched, I suggest you reconsider, because studies show that you will grow to resent your partner and child.


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Can we work through problems?


If you've been with your partner for a long period of time, you have likely experienced some rough patches. Take a look at those patches to determine how you dealt with them as a couple, and note what you did well or identify areas for improvement. Do you feel comfortable discussing any problem with your partner?


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Can we communicate?


Talking is not necessarily the same as communicating. You need to be able to talk to this person in your life in a constructive way. If you have already argued, you already know if this is possible. We don't always get along with the people we love, but we should be willing to get along with them most of the time and try to love them when we are feeling negative about them. If you felt like you came away from the situation understanding the other person better, you are able to communicate.


Important Tip:


If you have ever walked away from an argument feeling degraded or unsatisfied, you might want to work on your couples communication skills a bit more.


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


What are my conceptions of marriage?


Everyone has a different pre-conceived conception of what marriage means; some of us are influenced by family experiences, some of us by mass media depictions of marriage, some focus on the magical wedding day and think everything else will fall into place, while others dream of children and building long-term memories. What are yours? Are they at least similar to your partners? I hope so!


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Do we share the same values?


While this doesn't necessarily include religious or spiritual ideals, sharing the same values is going to be helpful in ensuring future harmony. For example, you will need to be able to share some values in order to make decisions together, parent together, and to live in the same home together.


Important Tip:


Conflicting values can be fun to debate when you're first dating, but having to live with someone who never agrees with you is not a strong foundation for a marriage.


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Do we share the same religion?


If you have strong religious beliefs, you should be able to 1) share them with your partner or 2) respect your partner's differences. There are many couples that do not share the same religion, but they still need to be able to respect their spouse's beliefs and have their spouse return the favor.


Important tip: Those that do not share the same religion will want to create a plan on how to deal with this in terms of children and holidays.


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE Getting Married


Where are we financially?


Marriage is certainly not about money, but making a note of what you have in terms of financial assets is certainly going to help you create a solid foundation. You need to be honest with your partner about your financial situation and they need to be honest with you. If you do not discuss money, this can create conflict in your marriage. In fact, financial stressors are one of the leading causes of divorce.


Action for the day: Perform some type of financial planning as a couple. Make notes regarding your financial situation as it relates to your tastes and standard of living. If you're fiscally responsible and your partner has a penchant for designer shoes and is drowning in credit card debt, can you manage this divide? Are you and your partner compatible in living within your means?


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


What are our differences?


Are you and your partner fundamentally different? If so, can you live with those differences? This can be anything that you feel strongly about or something that you simply dislike. For example, every one of us have “dealbreakers” which are things that we categorically will not tolerate. They represent a bare minimum requirement that should never be breached because it would often result in the end of the relationship. Do you need your partner to change in certain areas, or can live with them? Be honest, and save yourself future aggravation! Speak now or forever hold your peace, remember?


Action For The Day:


Make a list of your “dealbreakers” and share them with your partner. This will ensure that you are both on the same page regarding your expectations for your relationship.


A little introspection with respect to the above questions will help you ascertain your personal readiness for marriage. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't think of your partner's feelings as well. Next, we address your partner's readiness for marriage. After all, it takes two!


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Questions To Ask Of Your Partner


It's quite easy to get wrapped up in the idea that you are the only one that needs to consider your feelings regarding marriage as you're the one that's going to do the 'asking,' but this is only partially true. Yes, you do need to consider your own readiness, but you also need to question if your partner is ready as well.


Here are some questions that you can ask yourself about your partner to determine if this is a person that is ready to marry you:


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Are they willing to share things with you?


While all of us have small secrets, being married requires teamwork and a willingness to discuss some uncomfortable things. If you find that your partner isn't someone that shares things with you, you may want to reconsider whether they will make good marriage material. If they do not share themselves with you, then by definition you do not truly know them. In addition, you will likely find it difficult to communicate with them or even get a sense of what they are thinking.


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Have they already discussed marriage?


When you're in a long term relationship, the topic of marriage should be broached at some point. Even if you never plan to get married, couples should talk about the possibility and the probability. A sign that your partner is ready or close to being ready for marriage is this discussion – this often indicates they have given the idea some thought and have begun to ask themselves if they are ready.


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Do they see your relationship as a team effort?


If your potential spouse treats your marriage as though it were a team effort, it usually means they respect your input and opinions and are looking at things in the long term. Also, if your partner actively treats you as a permanent couple, this is likely a sign that they want to be a permanent couple.


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Has your partner had positive role models of marriage in their life?


If your partner came from a family that did not provide an example of a stable marriage, then they may have a slightly harder time adjusting to the idea of marriage or long term commitment. This doesn't mean they are unfit for marriage, but it can be an obstacle in terms of them harboring different opinions about love and relationships.


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Where do I see our lives heading?


Many people forget that the proposal is simply just one moment in which your lives will change forever. And while this moment is beautiful and timeless, you need to think more about what happens after your partner accepts a ring.


It's important to show your significant other that you have been thinking about the future and not just about the proposal. This is probably the most romantic gesture of all and it tells your partner that you are in this for the long haul.


You can relay this feeling to your partner by talking about the future after you propose or before you propose. Creating a vivid, happy picture of what your future together will look like is a great way not only to set up the perfect moment for popping the question, but also helps ensure that you are both ready for the wonderful ride!


If your partner isn't clear about what they want from your relationship, this isn't a problem necessarily, but it can be something that you might want to think about before you ask the big question. A partner that isn't quite sure what they want may indicate that they are not yet ready for marriage, or not easily satisfied. Of course, at the point you are ready to propose, you should already have an idea of your future potential as a long term couple.


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Do I really know the person I Plan to marry?


It's easy to become swept up in the moment of proposing. If you've only been together for a few months, you're probably feeling as though nothing will ever go wrong between you – that all will be happy and blissful.


However, the truth is that whenever you put two people together, you will inevitably experience some sort of disagreement or some rough patches. That's life, and unforeseen stressors can occur in the form of sudden unemployment, illness, the passing of family and pets, etc.


There is no hard and fast rule regarding how long you need to know someone before you get engaged, but you should be asking yourself just how much you know about the person you wish to spend the rest of your life with.


And you should consider how much they know about you.


Consider your partner's family. Have you met them? Meeting your partner's family is a great way to learn more about your partner, and gives you clues regarding their upbringing and caregiver models.


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Do you know your partners goals and dreams? Do you know what your partner would if they only had the chance?


Warning!


You should not get engaged to someone with the belief that you will “grow to love them” or get to know them more as you are married. This is almost always a recipe for disaster. Put simply, you should become engaged to someone you know well right now. While it's true that people change over the course of a marriage due to maturity and basic human development, but you should have a good idea of the essential nature of your partner.


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask Before Getting Married


Do your partner's family and friends like you?


While the opinion of your partner's family and friends isn't the defining factor regarding the validity of your relationship, you do need to consider any problems as potential obstacles to true bliss. If your partner's mother, for example, is always berating you, you might have to deal with this for the rest of your life. Even worse, if your partner never stands up for you, can you live with that?


Some relationships may always be difficult, so you should ask yourself if that's something you will be able to deal with in a mature and honest manner.


Though it's true that you want to do as much as you can to ensure that you have positive relationships with the important people in your partner's life, you also need to be willing to acknowledge that people generally do not change, but they can soften over time. In other words, thoughtfully consider, but don't get over attached to the opinions of your partner's family and friends.


Unfortunately, even if your partner's friends and family don't like you, you still need to treat them with respect. This will help to maintain civility and keep your partner from feeling like you are exacerbating the situation.


On the other hand, if you notice that your partner never stands up for you, this can create stress in your relationship. Additionally, if your partner always defers to the opinions of others, such as friends and family, this may create obstacles with respect to big decisions like children and career moves. Also, when a partner is constantly seeking others outside of the marriage for advice instead of conferring with his or her mate, this is a predictive indicator of relationship problems.


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE Getting Married


Do we share similar interests?


Think of the time you've spent with your partner thus far. Are you able to spend time together pursuing similar interests? While you don't have to share all of the same hobbies and activities, you do want to have some things you can enjoy together.


For example, perhaps you both love the same sports team and look forward to watching and attending games together. Or you may both be fitness enthusiasts that like to workout together.


Think of the activities you already enjoy together to determine if you have aspects of your lives that you can share over the long haul. If not, maybe it's time to find something that you can both enjoy together.


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Are we able to live individual lives too?


Here comes the flip side to the above recommendation: It is also vital to maintain balance in your relationship. While you want to have similar interests in your lives, you also need to maintain your own individuality without any interference from your partner.


In the beginning stages of a relationship, you will always want to be together – at work, at home, etc. But as the relationship evolves and you learn more about each other, you need to step outside of your comfort zone and find out what makes you happy on your own.


In short, you need to get your own life! While your partner may be a high priority in your life, you also need to nurture your own learning, hobbies, and interests in order to grow as a person.


What's more is that the more you learn about yourself and about what you enjoy, the more you bring into your relationship.


The old joke is that older couples run out of things to say because they've already said everything – but this is not necessarily the case when you take the time to develop your own life outside of the marriage and the relationship.


You need to both be willing to give the other space and time away in order to grow. If you think that spending as much time together as possible is going to work for you, you may be shocked to see just how much that doesn't work in a long term relationship.


Be ready and be willing to support the interests of your partner so that you can both learn and feel nurtured in learning new things. And when you have new things to share, you never run out of things to say!


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE Getting Married


Is anyone ever really ready?


A very valid case could be made for the fact that you're never really ready for marriage and an engagement, but you try anyway. Things aren't going to be perfect, but they should feel perfect for you. In every relationship, there are going to be ups and downs, but it's what you do with those moments that will define you as a couple.


This is why it's so important to make sure you ascertain your readiness for marriage. A wedding proposal is a big step that shows you are ready to become committed to your partner, and what better time to explore your own feelings?


Getting engaged is a time of nervous excitement. It's a big step in any relationship, but by examining your personal readiness for marriage and the foundation of your relationship, it's going to feel like the right step!


Relationship Advice: Important Questions To Ask BEFORE You Get Married


Action For The Day:


Take some time to make a list of all the reasons why you want to get married. Do they match your partner's reasons? Are they valid reasons, or are you fulfilling some unmet and potentially selfish need?

 
Falling (Or Feeling) Out Of Love?
 by: Lynn Powers

Love. Probably the most misused word in the English language. We “love” our kids, our dog, pizza, even certain television shows. But if we really want to learn about love, God’s Word is where we should turn.

The Bible talks a lot about love – what it is (1Corinthians 13), why we are told to love (1 John 4:19), ways we should express love (John 15:13). The Bible tells us how much God loves us (John 3:16) and that love is the greatest commandment of all (1Corinthians 13:13).


Unfortunately, and much to God’s displeasure, marriages break up all the time because couples have fallen “out of love.” But, according to the Bible, falling out of love is impossible because love is a choice. Feeling out of love, on the other hand, is possible. Even probable. Anyone who is married – even happily – will testify to that.


And that’s really what it comes down to, isn’t it? Many couples base their claims of falling out of love on the fact that they no longer feel love for their spouse. But God tells us not to live by our feelings. Our feelings can change from day to day – even moment to moment! God’s Word tells us in Proverbs 28:26 and in Jeremiah 17:9 that our hearts are deceitful. They can’t always be trusted.


If you are unhappy in your marriage, to the point of wanting to walk away, that’s probably not something you want to hear. Most likely, you feel justified in your decision to walk away. Maybe you’ve even convinced yourself that God actually approves of your reasons for leaving. After all, you have some good reasons! But, of course, you already know in your heart that God does not approve. Because His idea of marriage is forever. And, unless there is abuse or an unrepentant affair, you are required to stay. Whether you feel like it or not.


Here’s a question for you. Do you believe Jesus loves you? If you’re a Christian, your answer is probably, “of course!” The Bible tells us over and over how much He loves us. So much that He went to the cross. But here’s another question. Do you think Jesus felt like going to the cross? Do you think He wanted to experience the nails driving into his hands and feet? That he felt like being beat to a pulp, spit on, shoved to the ground…I don’t think so. But Jesus made a decision. He decided to bear the excruciating pain. To be tortured. Whipped. Cursed at.


If Jesus had acted on his feelings, we’d all be on our way to hell. But because he pushed through His feelings and decided to love, our lives are forever changed.


Although you won’t have to experience the physical pain Jesus did when He decided to love, you may go through some pretty heavy emotional pain. Choosing to love is not easy! Especially when there are hurts, anger and bitterness to work through. Especially when you don’t feel like it!


If you’re no longer “in love” with your husband or wife, if you’re considering ending your marriage, get help before the cement completely sets in your heart. Contact a good Christian marriage counselor or therapist to help you learn what you need to do to get the love back. Do it God’s way. When you do, it won’t be long before you’ll find yourself falling (and feeling) in love again.
 
Is Marriage The "Greener" On The Other Side Of The Fence?
 by: Lynn Gerino

Being divorced leaves a bad taste in the mouth for the thought of marriage and that all allusive idea of romance and love. What about love? Do we ever really have it? Is there something that others are doing to find it? These questions haunt the mind of singles everywhere. Never fear singles - you might be doing better than you think!

We have all had friends, other couples, who despite their struggles with money, kids and time always seemed to be happy with each other. When we see this marriage bliss all around us everyday it forces us to take a good hard look at what we are doing-right and wrong. Why do all these people, who used to be singles just like us, seem so happy and content with each other and their marriages? Well don't look too deep beyond the superficial bliss that those couples are portraying.


The truth more often than not is that they struggle with the same distractions that singles deal with. From the singles perspective the grass looks greener in a lot of cases. On the other hand there is a lot of jealously on the part of the married. They see the carefree attitude of their single friends and secretly desire that same ability to be more spontaneous.


When you are faced with the desire to "settle down" take a moment to reflect on where you are. Really examine your ability as a member of the singles crowd to be spontaneous. After all the introspection you will probably come to realize that being single isn't the end of the world. You should take sometime to get to know the other person before you are rushed or pressured into a committed relationship that you may both grow to resent. In all cases giving up the single lifestyle requires change. For some the changes required are greater which is proportional to the number of past relationships and the time between. Finding a partner that doesn't require change is a fairy tale so don't fall victim to that old adage that "I can change him".


Love and marriage is for better or worse, through health and sickness so we are motivated to get it right the first time. The reality is that fifty-percent of the time it doesn't quite work that way. Keep that in mind the next time you have lunch with one of your blissfully married friends because - as Erma Bombeck says - "the grass does grow greener over the septic tank".