What Makes a Healthy Marriage?

What Makes a Healthy Marriage?
by VaNiya, May 5, 2008
Two healthy wholes is what constitutes a healthy marriage.

According to most, the key to a healthy marriage is love, commitment, honesty and trust. True. However, one of the most important aspects to a healthy marriage is a healthy sense of self as a complete and capable individual.

Successful marriages are not the union of two partial entities, but a unique new entity made of two healthy wholes. Another part of a healthy marriage is having a healthy spiritual relationship. A healthy spiritual relationship is vital for a healthy marriage.

In addition, a healthy family origin is another important component of a strong marriage. Whether for good or ill, our family origin sets a foundation of our expectations for what marriage should be. For example, if our parents were good role models in settling disagreements and attending emotional needs of family members, the new marriage will certainly benefit. For most married couples, family set many positive examples that benefit the new marriage.

Another important key factor in a healthy marriage is readiness. Both parties must be ready for a commitment. Both parties have to be ready to take the “big step.” Each person must also be mature. This is another reason why most marriages fail; one person is either immature or not ready.

Having a healthy premarital relationship is another very important factor in having a healthy marriage. It is important to have a good dating relationship before marrying your partner. Most couples, who have experienced problems in the relationship prior to marriage, will probably end in divorce.

Sometimes, people often feel pressured into marriage. Another important factor in a healthy marriage is knowing what the standards are so each person can decide to meet them. Most individual like knowing what is expected of them.

Many marriages are failing because people fail to recognize the signs of an unhealthy marriage. A healthy marriage has several signs including lack of commonality, lack of maturity and lack of compatibility. When two people are going in opposite directions, the marriage is not healthy. A marriage composed of a mature couple has an advantage over one composed of two individuals who are not mature. It is also important for couples to share the same views and values.

However, it is just as important to have opposite views in common. Valuing diversity inside the relationship is important. A healthy relationship is allowing people to be themselves; it is stepping outside of our comfort zones.

Most importantly, a healthy marriage is a well rounded one.

Labels: healthy marriage

posted by Robert Heard at 10:47 AM