Love and Marriage

What are the ingredients for a successful and happy marriage?

Bearing in mind, that for me, successful means FOR LIFE. What is the secret for having a life long and happy marriage?? What are the mistakes you've made in your marriage that you would like to advise others about?

Public Comments

1. Communication, Trust, Respect, Willingness to adapt to change as it occurs in your life. Keeping the sex alive with new ideas showing him / her that they are the most important person in your life.
2. Be the best person you can be. Choose the best person you can choose. Put God at the top of your life and priorities. Then marriage. Then children. Then job. Be forgiving. Don't go to bed mad. Sex, sex and more sex. Personal experience: You cannot change a man. Find one you don't need to fix. --There's no guarantees in life. Marriage today is largely a leap of faith, but I still believe in the institution.
3. He knows when to shut up and do what he's told.
4. No matter how much you try to be good, to do right, to feel, and to be felt for as long as you dont know how to forgive and forget you'll still end up with divorce.
5. Trust is key. Without it, you have nothing. Understand that the honeymoon is eventually over, there will be ups and downs, good days and bad days. If you can get through those and still remain the best of friends, you've got it made. Say "I love you" every day. Don't fight over stupid things, life is too short for that. Respect each others' privacy. Even though you are married, it's important to remember that you are still two individuals and that a marriage is of partnership, not ownership. And most importantly, never go to bed angry. So cliched yet so very true.
6. I think you are off to a good start with the FOR LIFE attitude! Vows are not disposable even if there are rough times along the way. When you wake up every morning make your first thought be "What can I do to make her happy today?" And then do it! It doesn't have to be anything huge, just enough to catch her attention that you took the time to do it. Honesty and trust are absolutes. And when it comes to a situation that you could possible cheat on her, just think about all the great times you've had together and ask yourself if a 20 second orgasm is really worth giving that all up for? Society has tried to make EVERYTHING disposable today. Including relationships and love. And when arguing... fight fairly! Don't ever use an idle threat, that you have no intention of backing up. (That is not saying if you say, "if you do that, I'm leaving!" then you have to leave; but rather, make sure you NEVER even say it! Best of luck to you!!!
7. Virgo Rose said it all.
8. -Lots of love -This has to be a two way street and one person can not keep it together -Plenty of Thank you -Can I help you with anything -There is nothing that I would not do for you -Pick up after yourself -Never stop saying the sweet things.. -Always let the other know you love them. -Never lose respect for your spouse -There is not alot of room for jealousy.. some is okay.. but it will ruin marriage. -Don't sweat the small stuff. If he brings mud in on his shoes, don't get mad. After it is done there is nothing that you can do but clean it up. -Don't expect each other to read minds. -Be able to communicate and tell the other one what you want/need -Always make time for one another -Always treat them how you want to be treated. Give out what you want back. My first marriage, I was happy and so was he. There was nothing really wrong with our relationship except for the fact that he wouldn't get off drugs. My 2nd marriage, I could not communicate with him and did not learn to communicate well with him before marriage and well after wards it was to late. We eventually were so nasty to one another that we couldn't stand each other. He would be wanting to talk to me and I'd have my nose stuck in a book cause I wanted to read and was to stubborn to even think about forgiving him for what he said. He was very man and nasty to me though. My 3rd and final husband. It is a marriage that I would have not thought possible. We are best friends, and we are that first. No matter what I do, he stands behind me and supports me as I do him. That is important to me. We talk about everything. If of of us is having a problem, no matter what it is, we can talk to the other on without the other one jumping up and down. We are able to listen to one another. If there is a problem, we just handle it. We don't wait for the other one to get home to do it. We don't get mad at one another for something an ex does, we both know how exes can be and we each try to handle our own exes without the other one getting involved. Sometimes when you have an ex that just want let that happen, it is just not possible. We have been together 2 years and have never even had a cross word. I love him unconditionally and he does me the same. We have my two kids and his kid. Together they are ours and we put them first but we each are equal to our kids. They don't rule our life. If we need time together and the kids are wanting something that is not that important, the kids have to wait. If we want time together and the kids are sick, or has some thing that can't wait, we just have to wait. A marriage is what you put into it. Treat your spouse like you want to be treated Sorry it is so long.. I could write all day on this