Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Top 5 Steps to Saving Your Marriage After You Cheated on Your Spouse

Infidelity is not the number one basis for divorce, but it runs a close second.  The dynamics of unfaithfulness and why a spouse cheats are rather easy to recognize but ever-so-difficult to get past.  Generally speaking, upon average, a spouse doesn’t plan to cheat or premeditate unfaithfulness; it’s usually something that “just happens” due to situations within the marriage that weakened his or her resistance to enticement. 

When a couple is having marriage troubles and don’t work to get past those problems, this leads to a layering effect; one problem leads to another and then another and before you know it, you have layer upon layer of troubles that seem too deep to ever dig through.  This leads to an miserable marriage and an miserable marriage leads to infidelity.  I’m not saying that all couples with marriage problems will have infidelity issues to deal with; I’m simply saying it makes it easier for the cheating partner to rationalize his or her actions.  To recognize this complex issue you might check out “The Anatomy of An Affair” which will clarify in detail the hows and why’s of infidelity. 

If you cheated, chances are you are feeling plenty culpable, and by right, you should.  But there is expectation to save your marriage even after cheating on your spouse; the procedure isn’t easy and may take a long time to get past, but if you are serious about saving your marriage, you can do it.  The following are five steps you can take to put your marriage back on track and get past the issue of infidelity.

Admittance

Chances are as soon as the sex is over you will be smacked with an amazing load of guilt; this is the time to face up to your demons.  The longer you linger, the longer you have to justify your actions.  Also, the longer you linger and your partner doesn’t find out, it will make it easier for you to cheat again.  Admitting your mistake to yourself and to your partner is the first step towards saving your marriage.

Make No Excuses

Make an apology but do not give reasons for your actions.  No matter how bad your marriage is, there is no justification for infidelity.  Even if your spouse was unfaithful in the past; this does not make it ok for you to be unfaithful.  Trying to give reasons for your being unfaithful is the same as blaming your spouse for your mistake.

Communicate

You and your spouse must discuss your relationship problems and if need be, seek marriage assistance.  You can do this by going to a marriage counselor or by working together, as a couple, to try to save your marriage together.  If you are lost and don’t know where to start at this spot, you might want to read, “Save My Marriage Today” for some very helpful tips and guidance to get you through this complicated time in your marriage.

Rebuild Confidence

Trust is given freely until it is betrayed; after that you have to earn it back.  This will be the most complicated part of the process as people are very slow to ever have confidence again once they’ve been hurt by infidelity.  You can anticipate your partner to have continuing uncertainties and doubts and it may take months or even years to totally get their trust back.  Remember, you are the one who broke the trust  and you are the one who has to resolve it.  You can’t get offended if your spouse has continued trust  issues; be thankful that he or she didn’t send you packing and is agreeable to work this out.

Keep Working

You can build a sturdy, lasting marriage again but it will take time and devotion.  There are a plethora of ways you can show your loyalty to the marriage and your willingness to make it work.  If you wish to make a distinction in your marriage and build it even sturdier than it was before, you can read “The Magic of Making Up” to give you new found hope in even the most hopeless conditions.

Infidelity doesn’t have to end your marriage if you are willing to work to save your marriage.  It’s a vow you have to make, not only to your spouse, but to yourself.  You will have to re-create the foundation of your marriage and then repeatedly keep re-creating the foundation, but if you are determined and tolerant, you can have a tougher, more tender marriage then what you had before.

How to Repair a Broken Marriage

Even in the best marriage a couple will in the end come across a turbulent time in their lives.  It is only natural when two people spend every day of their lives together there will be differences.  The secret to overcoming those marriage troubles is how you manage the turbulence when you first enter into it.

Disagreements, if handled properly, can be healthy for a marriage as it gives you each time to calculate the problem and then work together to resolve it.  But unfortunately what happens in too many marriages is couples just tolerate the difference to blow over without ever talking about the challenges.  Many times this occurs because couples just don’t know how to broach the subject.  If you’ve been in this situation, you can check out “The Magic of Making Up” to give you some tremendous thoughts about how to fix your relationship troubles in a healthy manner. 

Minor disagreements, left unattended, can swell into an avalanche; it’s important to fix the challenge right now and don’t just let it blow over.  If you have a tire that has a slow leak, you can keep putting air in the tire, but that doesn’t fix the problem.  You have to find where the leak is and patch it.  To save your marriage, the same analogy applies. 

A problem marriage is solvable as long as both of you recognize that there are troubles and are willing to work together to fix these problems.  If only one spouse recognizes the troubles and the other one doesn’t, the relationship challenges will only worsen. 

Maybe you have tried to discuss things with your spouse and attempted to work on the troubles, but your spouse is having a problem accepting that there really is a problem; this can be very annoying and leave you feeling weak.  There are solutions at your fingertips; you might want to check out, “Save My Marriage Today” to give you some great ideas on how to get your spouse to react in a helpful way to work together to get past your relationship problems. 

Marriage is supposed to be about supporting one another and reassuring each other; if your spouse has been left with a broken heart, resolving that heart can take time and tolerance on your end.  You have to let him or her know that you are all set to do no matter what you have to do to help them get past it.  And if you are the spouse with the broken heart, once your heart is mended, don’t allow something in the future to revive the injury.  Once you get past a challenge, let it die and bury it forever.  Nothing positive has ever come from digging up old bones; you have to move on and away from the past.

You may feel you have the best marriage, but even that marriage can be at risk if relationship problems aren’t properly dealt with.  You don’t have to permit small differences or even major differences from wrecking your marriage; you have the power to save your marriage if you know how to manage it.  If you are having one of those shakey times in your marriage and are looking for solutions about how to save your marriage, you might want to check out, “Mastery Guide to Saving Your Marriage & Stopping Your Divorce” to give you some very perceptive information and help you to find the answers you’ve been looking for.

Top Tips When Your Marriage is in Trouble

For the majority of marriages today, they are nothing at all like what you see on TV.  Marriage takes a large amount of work and effort and if you aren’t totally dedicated to the process, you are on a fast track to failure. 

Too many people go into marriage feeling like it is simple to get out of if it doesn’t work.  That is the first blunder people make; they should be thinking about how to make their marriage continue and not how painless it is to get out of it if things get rough in their relationship.

The first year of a marriage can be particularly difficult.  You are getting used to being a married couple, which is quite different than just being a dating couple.  Even if you lived together before you got married, the situations of the relationship change and tend to cause stress and strain on a marriage.  You will be learning new things about your spouse that you might not have known about before.  If that is the case, you might want to check out, “1000 Questions for Couples” for some very insightful questions you might want to ask.

Here are some helpful guidelines you can use if you sense your marriage might be in danger:

Talk: I can’t emphasize this enough; the most important item you can do is talk to each other.  You are going to get on each other’s nerves and you will have marriage problems; no doubt about it.  All those tiny trivial things that really aren’t so terrible will start to add up and can cause major problems down the road.  At the first sign of frustration, start talking.

Don’t forget to keep on dating:  Just because you are married doesn’t mean you have to stop dating each other.  Too many couples get content in their relationships and begin to take each other for granted.  You have to continue to make each other feel wanted and appreciated; this is a major issue with a lot of couples.  One of the key reasons people feel like they are in a miserable  marriage is because they don’t feel like their spouse wants or treasures them anymore.

Don’t involve family or friends:  When you have a disagreement, don’t go running to your family and friends and talk awful about your relationship problems with them.  Instead of running to your family you need to be running to each other and talking to each other about your troubles.  You need to be learning the art of making up and how much that part of marriage is so crucial.  You can find some fascinating ideas and guidelines by reading “The Magic of Making Up” to help you find the right words to say at those relatively difficult times.

Keep romance alive: There may be times when you can’t stand to look at your spouse’s face, but you have to remember, this is the person who you fell in love with and vowed to spend the rest of your life with.  There has to be something about him or her that you were drawn to so keep in mind what that is and reawaken the fire. 

Don’t give up so quickly; marriage is a long term promise and you have many years to work on it.  If you are having trouble and want to save your marriage, you have to work together to make it work.  For some ideas and assistance on saving your marriage, check out “Save My Marriage Today” for some great thoughts and strategies. Your marriage won’t save itself; you have to be in control.

The Best Approach to Saving My Marriage

Somewhere down the line there is likely going to come a spot when you will have some sort of marriage challenges or another, no matter how strong your marriage is at the start. This is typical in most marriages.  It’s when those “normal” marital challenges turn into “abnormal” marital troubles, that is when a marriage can turn onto the road of destruction. 

Statistically speaking, over 50% of all beginning marriages end in a break up and that percentage rises with second and third time marriages.  So the question is, are people doing everything they can to locate the right kind of marriage help?  In my opinion I think the answer is “no”.  Marriage has become too conveniently disposable and when people start having marriage problems they just don’t feel it’s worth the time or for them to attempt to try to resolve an unhappy marriage.

If you, in fact, hope to save your marriage then will have to take the suitable actions in doing that.  Your marriage is not going to fix itself; you have to take control and repair it yourself.  As the saying goes, “you made your bed now lie in it” and that’s the bottom line when it comes to saving your marriage.

The primary thing you need to figure out is what the root of the problem is.  Relationship problems come in various levels; it’s only when you determine the root of the trouble can you begin digging through the layers to resolve the rest of the problems.  This can be an agonizing and eye-opening experience and to be expected you will both have to take a long look in the mirror and admit to the fact that fault falls on you both.  It requires two people to make a marriage and it also requires two people to destroy it.  If you feel it’s worth your effort and time to fix your marriage, and want more detailed information, you can get the ball rolling with the magic of making up right here.

Letting marriage challenges to remain forever will eventually lead to the end of the marriage so it is crucial, if you truly wish to save your marriage, to recognize your relationship troubles and start to work through them together.  The longer you live in an gloomy marriage the less likely it is you will want to save it.  You begin looking at the grass on the other side of the fence, which at that time in your life, looks much more attractive than the dead grass you keep trying to chew on.

Once you have figured out the root cause of the challenge you have to dig up that root, burn it, and then plant new seeds in its place.  You see, once the root is dead, the rest will follow, but only as long as the root is dead.  The challenge with most marriages when they are looking for marriage help, is that they discover the root of the problem and attempt to dig it up and kill it, but they never fully succeed which leaves the root there to spark new growth.  This is not a time to play the blame game; you both are to blame and you both have to decide what is most important.  If one person is willing but the other is not, your hard work are useless; it has to be a shared attempt.

I’ve never agreed that marriage is a 50/50 thing; marriage is a 100/100 thing.  If both people aren’t giving their full all to the marriage, how can a marriage possibly endure?  It’s like baking a cake; if you don’t use 100% of the ingredients the recipe calls for, the cake is not going to turn out. 

An unhappy marriage doesn’t have to always be unhappy; you have control of this issue and you have the control to fix it.  The best approach is going straight to the cause of the problem and eliminating that cause.  This takes courage and commitment but if you are serious about saving your marriage you’ll swallow your pride and do what it takes to make the marriage fit and strong once again.  The most important thing to always keep in mind is you must not relive the past.  Once you fix it, it’s done.  If you can’t get past the challenge then the issue is more rooted than you thought.  You have to dig until it’s completely dead and removed from your life.

If you are really concerned in saving your marriage check out “Save My Marriage Today” to get more useful information that can help you to succeed in saving your marriage.

Surprisingly Saving Your Marriage on Your Own is Speedy and Painless to Do.

I don’t care who you are or how long you’ve been married, in the end you will have relationship troubles that can and sometimes do lead to extra severe marriage challenges.  What you and your spouse must understand, right from the beginning of your marriage, is that you are in charge of of what goes on in your relationship.  You have the power to fix it as simply as the problems arise.  Knowing that you have control of the situation is one huge step in saving a potentially unhappy marriage.

If you want to save your marriage the most important and essential step is letting go of arrogance.  So many times in marriage challenges people allow their pride to get in the way which halts the process of healing.  If you need marriage help you first need to swallow hard and push that arrogance away.

Once the pride is off the beaten path, you and your partner can discuss anything, regardless of what because there is no pride to be injured or to stand in the way.  Communication and a quick answer to your marriage problems is how couples fix their issues painlessly and fast.  You have to be willing to chat about the concerns with each other in a cool and civil manner.  If one or the other starts to yell, you need to stop the discussion right then and continue it when you both are calm.

A miserable marriage doesn’t happen overnight and resolving the problems won’t be instant, but they will happen immediately providing each of you are ready to acknowledge what has gone wrong and are ready to help to make it right.  It’s always good to remember that when you point a finger of blame at somebody there are always three fingers pointing back at you.  That’s an old cliché but ever so true. 

The sooner you are aware of a issue and begin to fix it, the faster you and your partner can get back to a serene and healthy marriage.  This is not to say that you won’t ever have troubles again; as long as there is marriage, there will always be marriage challenges.  It’s immature to feel that you can spend every day of the rest of your life with the same person and not have some kind of relationship challenges.  That is normal in every single marriage known to man.  It is how you deal with those troubles that set you at a distance from all the others.  Your desire to make the  marriage work and not give in to the “easy way out”, which so many people do these days is what will make you triumphant. 

It takes a lot of effort keeping a marriage alive and functioning healthy and far too many people are not willing to go that extra mile or put forth the effort to take an unhappy marriage and turn it around.  Divorce is easy; pricey, but easy.  The sad truth of the matter is more people split-up than those who try to work out their marriage troubles.  It hasn’t always been that way; society used to look downward on divorce as “sinful” or “disgraceful”.  Society used to look at divorce as being out of the ordinary. Today society consider those who are able to continue a sturdy marriage as being out of the norm.  It’s odd and even sad at times how society dictates the lives of so many people and how all those people allow it to happen.

No matter how you look at it, marriage is a lot of effort; from day one to the end of your life, you will always be working on your marriage.  You think you know the person you are with?  Check this out, “What You Absolutely Must Know About the One You Are With!” to see how much you really do know about your spouse.

4 Factors Leading to Marriage Failure

Statistics in Western society tell us that about 50% of all marriages fail. Worse yet is that many of those don’t even make it through the first year.  Understanding why marriages fail can be key to ensuring that your own marriage succeeds.  Four factors that can contribute to the marriage failure include a lack of communication, financial issues, the circumstances of the marriage, and even society as a whole.  All of these issues can exist even in a healthy marriage, but if they are not dealt with properly, the marriage is more likely to fall apart.

Let's briefly examine those 4 factors leading to marriage failure.

1. Communication



The #1 key to a great marriage is good communication. It is so important to the success of a marriage.  Without proper communication, conflict resolution becomes a difficult challenge.  If the couple lacks the communication skills necessary to resolve their problems, then even the smallest problems will become insurmountable.  Communication also allows a relationship to grow and thrive by giving the partners an opportunity to share their dreams, concerns, hopes, and desires with each other.  Without sharing in this way, a couple will not grow as close together as possible. 

Communication also gives the couple a healthy way to resolve their disagreements.  If one or both partners lack effective communications skills, it becomes difficult to resolve arguments, because the couple is not able to understand each other's point of view.  If the marriage is already on the skids, both partners in the marriage must be dedicated to working on their communication skills in order to improve or salvage their marriage.  The absence of effective communication techniques can lead to the failure of a marriage.

2. Financial



Love may conquer all but sometimes even love isn’t enough to save a marriage when there are significant financial concerns.  While financial concerns in and of themselves may not be the cause of a failed marriage, the tension that they create is often the starting point in a failed marriage.  Financial concerns can be a heavy burden to bear and when a couple is struggling to meet their financial obligations, there can be a tremendous amount of pressure in the relationship.  This pressure may be enough to destroy an otherwise good marriage. 

If one of the partners in the marriage becomes obsessed with the marital finances they can begin to neglect other needs of the marriage.  This neglectful behavior has the effect of making the other partner feel lonely, or even ignored. This obviously leads to problems in other areas like communication and trust.

3. Wrong Reasons



When the decision to marry is based on something other than true love, it is likely that the marriage will fail.  Two common examples of marriage circumstances that often lead to failure are (a) getting married because there is a baby on the way, or (b) because the couple is feeling pressured by friends and family members.  Neither of these reasons are truly valid reasons for marriage and often lead to failure.  When a couple marries for reasons other than true love, the marriage is often doomed right from the beginning.

Marrying too young is another reason why many marriages fail.  While the right age to marry varies greatly depending on the individual, many people argue that the teens and early twenties are too early to get married.  Getting married before you have had a chance to enjoy many of life’s experiences can result in resentfulness in the marriage.

4. Society



A modern reason for many marriages to fail is that society no longer places importance on the institution of marriage.  It is now common for couples to live together and have children without being married.  This devalues marriage and results in a higher percentage of failed marriages.  With so little value placed on marriage in today’s society, couples are not committed to making their marriage work, and are often quick to give up on the marriage and each other.

Final Words



Many marriages today are doomed before they even begin.  Marriage is no longer seen as a necessary step in a relationship, so many couples are quick to divorce without making an honest effort to resolve their differences.  Communication breakdown, financial difficulties, and the circumstances of the marriage are also problems that can cause many marriages to fail.

If you want to see your marriage succeed, take the time to study. There are many excellent resources, including Grandpa Richard's Relationships Website. Visit today and learn how to improve your relationship.

Marriage Advice - How To Keep The Fire In A Marriage

Is it really possible to keep a marriage happy ever after?

A good marriage is something you have to work at. Both of you have to be ready to keep working on the relationship. There will be a lot of tender loving care needed, if you want to keep your relationship fresh and exciting. The chances that your relationship will be able to survive are a lot higher if both of you are ready to give and receive.

Apply these 8 tips on how to make your marriage work and you won't have any problems:

1. Whether you are just married or have been together for many years, in order to build a strong relationship you must learn how to communicate effectively. Always listen carefully to your partner and try to be able to comprehend what they are telling you. Always have the courtesy to give your full attention to the conversation when your are talking to each other. It really helps you to understand them, when you look your partner in the eyes when they are talking. Don't just hear. Acknowledge that what has been said is clearly understood.

2. Never assume you know how your partner feels about anything. Just because you like something don't volunteer them to do it with you. ASK! Always give them the courtesy to see if they want to do it.

3. When you see him/her doing something nice, tell them - I got you! Then proceed to thank them for doing such a wonderful thing and tell them how much you appreciate it. You will be amazed how a little gratefulness can improve your relationship. When you make the effort of showing your partner that they make you happy with something, you will be finding that they will repeat doing nice things.

4. At least once a week do something together that you are both enjoying. Go to the theater, dancing, go biking, work out together, the options are endless. Look for any shared interests and keep doing them as often as possible.

5. Be the best friend of your partner. Always encourage them when they are working toward a goal they want to achieve. Be there for them when they need it and provide a shoulder to cry on if necessary. Reveal your dreams to them, share your goals and try to work together. Make sure to let them know how proud you are when the succeed in something.

6. Never neglect your partner. Don't get so wrapped up in your own life that you completely forget the everyday niceties. Hug and kiss them daily. Don't hang out with your friends the whole weekend or watch TV. Make it a habit to spend time together with your partner each weekend, so you will have more in common to talk about and you will see that you will grow closer together.

7. It is very important that you "never go to bed angry", this might be hard sometimes, but it is vital. If you let your anger boil long enough it will be much harder to resolve the problem and you will be trying to avoid it with leaving the house or going to bed. If you learn to agree to disagree when needed, you will be able to keep the peace. But this is only working if you are really honest with yourself and you are sure that its ok to agree to disagree, specifically when it is a smaller problem. This way you aren't wasting time with being angry about smaller things.

8. You don't lose anything if you admit that you were wrong. If you are wrong, admit it. Not doing this because of your pride will not help you in any way and a marriage going wrong is a much higher price to pay.

Although there will be always individual differences in a relationship, living in harmony is possible. Practice these things and be sure to work out any fights before you go to bed.

Love and cherish each other. Build a strong bond by being loving and honest with each other. This is how you make your marriage work.