When going into a new year, we can’t help but reflect back on what we’ve been through. Our marriage should be our most important relationship, that we should continuously nurture day after day, and year after year. A new year is great time to evaluate the strengths & weaknesses in your marriage, in addition to discussing your vision for the relationship.
Over the last year, our BMWK Team of writers has brought you great content on intimacy, happiness, peace, communication and more. Here are 7 (of many) Guiding Principles for a Great Marriage in 2015!
1. You are Responsible for Your Own Happiness.
Isom Kuade wrote Why the Phrase ‘Happy Wife, Happy Life’ Needs to Die, and we learned that a husband is not a miracle cure for all the hardships a wife is to face in her life. We control our own happiness.
Husbands are not an assembly line of factory happiness ready to restock her aisles once she becomes low in supply of today’s happy inventory.
2.The Truth Will Set You Free
One of the major issues couples typically complain about is communication. Some women are quick to share the wordy details of the workday and what the bestie did to hurt their feelings. However, some occasionally seem to still struggle in this one area. Tiya Cunningham-Sumter reveals in The One Lie Married Women Must Stop Telling is …
“Nothing’s wrong, I’m fine”
3. Watch Your Mouth!
Ronnie Tyler breaks down 5 Ways You Can Talk Yourself Right Out of a Good Husband by expressing, there is power in the tongue. Through your words, you have the power to build your husband up, but you also have the power tear him down.
Marriage requires sacrifice and compromise. Every wife comes into a marriage with certain expectations and ideas of how things are going to be. But so do husbands. You must be careful with your expectations, so they don’t become serious issues or somehow become a threat to your relationship.
4. Instantly Restore Peace to Your Relationship
Conflict, disagreement and anger have the potential to wreak havoc on a relationship. Tiya Cunningham-Sumpter explains in 6 Phrases that Instantly Restore Peace to Your Relationship, when tempers flare, words are sometimes spoken that you later regret.
A common misconception in relationship disagreements is that the other partner just needs to hear they’re right. This isn’t usually the case. We don’t always have to say “you’re right, I’m wrong” to our partners just to end the conflict.
5. Don’t Lose Yourself
Dr. Michelle Johnson explains, whoever told you that you must “lose you” or sacrifice mind, body, and soul for a marriage lied. Yes, they straight up lied to you. “Until death do us part” does not mean you must die a slow death in order to fulfill your marriage vows in 5 Sacrifices I’m Not Willing to Make in my Marriage.
Let me clarify. Marriage should give life not take life.
6. Keep Touching Each Other
If you’re wondering how you can make love all day when you have other obligations like a job, kids and household responsibilities, it’s not as hard as it seems. Aja Jackson goes into detail with 25 Ways to Touch Your Spouse All Day Long and tells you to remember those early days in your marriage, when of when you couldn’t keep your hands off of each other.
If all day feels like foreplay, the transition into the bedroom will be a lot more natural. It’s easier to keep a fire going that’s already lit than to start a new one from scratch.
7. Stay Playmates and Not Roomates
Troy Spry doesn’t hold back in 7 Ways to Avoid Having a Sexless Marriage. He shares that one way to stay playmates is to, remain conscious in the marriage and be intentional about intimacy.
As much as “life happens” married couples must remember that they are husband and wife first and foremost. When husbands and wives are connected, then the marriage is healthier and the family is healthier.
BMWK, Enjoy 2015 with your spouse! Happy New Year!