You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. Martin Luther King
Good relationships lead to better health and happiness. And if you’re married, that’s the most important relationship you have. So how well is your marriage going? Is it a source of happiness or stress?
Back in 1938, the Harvard Study of Development started with 724 participants. Some were male undergraduates at the prestigious university. Others were boys from troubled and disadvantaged homes in Boston.
The purpose? To investigate what makes people flourish.
The study has continuously followed the original participants, their spouses, and, eventually, more than 1300 of their descendants. No other study on human life has lasted longer. And it’s findings are conclusive.
Money, career success, hobbies, a big house or fancy car, none of them matter to your physical, mental, and emotional health and overall happiness as much as the quality of your relationships.
But where and how do you spend most of your time? With your friends, your children, your wife?
Because another finding from the study is that to gain the advantages from your relationships, you have to nurture them.
So, again I ask, how is your marriage going?
If you and your wife don’t rate it an 8 or 9 out of 10, you may not be gaining these lifetime advantages.
As you head into another year, what would you change about your marriage?
- Better communication
- More respect
- Quality time together
- Being on the same page regarding finances, raising the kids, running the house, etc.
- More appreciation
- More or better sex
If you keep doing the same things you’ve always done, you will end up in the same place. You may know what you want to be different, but do you have the skills to make that happen?
If you’re like most people, you’ve never taken a Relationship 101 class. And you may have never seen a really healthy marriage. So how can you make yours better?
Just like you have a toolbox to hold the tools you use to make repairs around your house, you need to have a toolbox for your marriage. Instead of it being filled with hammers, screwdrivers, and wrenches, it’s filled with effective relationship skills and techniques.
You’ve got this. But if you don’t, I’ve got you. Take this short quiz to find out how healthy your marriage is.
Happiness is a Side Benefit
Countless people think it’s their job to make their partners happy. While that is a wonderful concept, it’s impossible to do. You are responsible for your happiness. Your partner is responsible for theirs. But even focusing on happiness in that way is a treacherous path. The way to see things in a more positive, possibly even happy, way is to focus on gratitude. Life coach and Transformation Specialist, Dr. Dravon James explains why this is so and a simple reveals a simple practice to help you.
