“Sometimes it’s our fear of failure driving us more than our lack of desire.” This was the conclusion of one my inspirational social media motivational messages, but it may not be about what you think. No, I’m not talking about being afraid to chase your dream or start your own business. What I’m talking about is the fear that so many people have about entering into the covenant of marriage. It’s funny how marriage can be so beautiful, but as a society we have made it so ugly for so many people. Let’s talk about it…come follow me!
The more I coach clients about life and love, the more patterns I begin to see. At least once a week, I will speak with a client that is at a crossroads in their romantic relationships. They are at the intersection of what they feel, the “I want to be married,” and what they hear, the “don’t get married because it never works.”
I think back to my journey towards marriage and honestly sometimes I can’t blame them; these two thoughts could not be any further away from each other and it’s hard to figure out which direction to go. I mean think about it…if you grow up in a home where neither your parents ever got married, or if they were married it was far from a positive or pleasant experience, you may have a cloudy vision of what a successful marriage should be. Perhaps your parents argued every day and fought every night. Maybe Dad never hugged or kissed Mom and you rarely ever heard him tell her “I love you.” And, maybe all Mom ever did was tell you about how bad Dad was. Or, maybe Mom had been married and divorced a few times leaving you with twp different step dads, none of whom ever treated her like the queen she was. Another situation: maybe Dad cheated on Mom or Mom cheated on Dad and as a result you were cheated out of a positive example of what a “good” marriage is supposed to look like.
Do any Google query and there are many examples and statistics that could make you fearful of marriage. However, be mindful that there are many examples and statistics that should encourage you as well. Here’s one I hear thrown around more often than I like to hear, that 50% of all marriages end in divorce. Ouch! But let’s get some silver lining in these dark clouds. Dig a little deeper, and we can find this statistic. Men that are married are 135% more likely to report a higher happiness score than single men. I won’t dive too much into stats because they can always be debated, but I would challenge you to focus on writing your own story in life and in love.
Don’t let the “bad’ things that you hear, see or read deter you from finding the beauty that lies within the covenant of a beautiful marriage. Instead of being afraid to fail at and in it, be determined to succeed at it! When you find the person that you know, feel and desire to be “the one” don’t let the negativity of others fester in your head. Instead of looking at your parents’ bad relationship as your only example, seek out some people that are actually happily married. Stop treating marriage like products and deciding not to buy just because you read one bad review online. If you haven’t noticed, when people are bitter or upset about something it’s easy to share it with the world, but when they are happy you won’t always hear about how good things are. Instead of fearing the potential failure, invest with all you have and put in the effort to be the example that you may not have had! I’m not saying that marriage is for everyone, but what I am saying is don’t allow the story of your parents or your friends to stop you from writing your story…one that could be a fairy-tale in the face of others that have been nightmares.
In every other facet of life we love to claim to be leaders and not followers…so my question then is…why in the case of marriage should it be any different? Don’t let the misery of others make you miss out on the potential happiness that can belong to you and the one you opt to spend the rest of your forever with. Allow a healthy marriage to be the foundation for you and your family’s future. Believe it or not there is somebody watching you and they are hoping you succeed because they subconsciously want permission to hit play instead of stop!
BMWK Family – get involved in the conversation. Was there someone or a couple who either discouraged you or encouraged you about the idea of marriage?
Jalisa says
Thank you so much for this powerful message.Some of the things that you mentioned can scare you away from marriage,but marriage can be simply wonderful with a little imagination and alot of work.I can definitely relate Thanks again for the article.
TaLeshea says
Call me a coward. This is a beautiful article that I will share with those desiring marriage one day. This topic just keeps coming up in my world but 15 years divorced later, I honestly don’t have the courage to step back out there. I do enjoy reading your articles though and share them with my other friends and couples because I sincerely want their relationships to thrive. Thank you.
Troy Spry says
Thank You Jalisa and TaLeshea for taking the time to read the article! I truly hope that people can see the beauty in marriage and begin to write their own story instead of listening to the negative ones they hear! I had a young lady tell me yesterday that this article helped change her perspective after hearing her friends talk so negatively about their failed marriages. I hope this article can change many more perspectives as well. Please share and continue to check out more of my work by liking my page at http://www.thefacebook.com/xklusivethoughts
Teleshea I truly hope that you decide to give love another try. The topic keeps coming up in your world for a reason, it might be time to start listening! If you are ever interested in some coaching please contact me at [email protected]
Chomeka says
I’m just reading this article as the link was posted in Twitter. Thank you so much for writing it. I am very positive towards the idea of marrying again. I come from a healthy two parent home and am surrounded by positive married couples and hopeful singles, so no negativity on the topic. I think my issue right now is staying encouraged in this “waiting period” for the right one. The statistics and the negative dating experiences can really weigh heavy on you at times to make you ask, is he out there anywhere?? I trust God with everything in me and use this time to work on me and enjoy his many blessings in my life. The word of God and positive influences in my circle keep me going strong in my faith and encouraged that love will find me again and will be the most positive, wonderful experience ever.