RECIPE FOR A HAPPY MARRIAGE

A recipe for a happy marriage that's sure to make your marriage stronger starts with one of the most important ingredients - a shared dream. Research shows that when couples make positive plans, they have more stable, satisfying relationships. Sharing common objectives and setting positive goals - both long-term and short-term - for the future can help keep a couple from taking a wrong turn and getting lost along the way. Be sure to keep these ingredients in mind when preparing your recipe:

Recipe for a Happy Marriage – 1st Ingredient: Desire to Achieve Your Goal

What is your common goal? You and your spouse should decide on this goal together. Both members in the couple need to have a strong mutual taste for a delicious recipe for a happy marriage in the future, so they must really want to reach the goal. Ask yourselves where you want your marriage to be. Write your goal down on paper. This is the time to aim high and think big!

Recipe for a Happy Marriage – 2nd Ingredient: Make a Plan of Action

Now, you have completed the first step as you prepare to make your happy marriage recipe, but how do you reach your goal? Sit with your spouse and list all of the steps you can think of that will get you closer to your goal. Prioritize each step in order of importance. It's okay if you rewrite them. Will it take six months, or ten years? Work with a timeline that feels comfortable for you and your spouse.

Recipe for a Happy Marriage – 3rd Ingredient: Identify Obstacles

The preparations for your happy marriage may not always taste sweet. Brainstorm together on challenges you could encounter as you pursue your dream. Remember, sometimes even everyday life issues can become roadblocks. Then, next to each of these possible setbacks, list sources of support and potential solutions. What people or organizations could you turn to in hard times? The clearer your list, the more flavor you add to your recipe — and the better your chances of overcoming challenges and experiencing a happier marriage.

Recipe for a Happy Marriage – 4th Ingredient: Be Committed

A happy marriage cannot be whipped up in one day. The only way to reach your shared dream is to really pursue it. Setting goals is the first step, but you must be persistent and disciplined - never give up even when you encounter setbacks. Always look at your progress and keep working to improve your recipe.

Recipe for a Happy Marriage – 5th Ingredient: Visualize Your Dream

If it can work for the world's top athletes, it can work for any couple to make their recipe for a happy marriage into a delicious and satisfying treat. Get a clear mental picture of the goal already accomplished. In other words, think of your dream as already reached, and make it a vivid image. Once it's there, play that picture over and over again in your mind.

Working together towards your shared dream gives you both hope for the future. That hope will make it all the easier to plan and work together as a couple toward your goal. As your dreams become real, you'll be able to see the progress it's making. You'll be a couple on your way to living happily ever after, confident that you can make your marriage stronger with a healthy recipe for a happy marriage.