How Much Is Your Marriage Worth?

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” —Oprah Winfrey

Can you really put a price on your marriage? How can you decide what experience in your marriage is worth what? Discovering the parts of your relationship that works from one day to the next demands lots of time, energy, and care.

And mastering your knowledge of what makes for a successful marriage and what you create together takes thought and skill. Being aware, and remembering, what works and what doesn’t is the secret.

Keeping your marriage successful may depend on the two most universal beginnings of what causes a marriage crisis. One is neglect. The other is the lack of understanding. Either of the two can quickly spin an innocent situation into a crisis that puts the entire marriage at risk.

At this point, the path of the relationship becomes unpredictable and the marriage can fall apart in a million ways. However, the path back is predictable.

A marriage only recovers in two predictable ways. Though, one specific step on the path back may vary depending on the crisis, But, the “way back” is the same. One, avoid neglecting each other, and two, make understanding a recurring part of the relationship.

And I speak from experience. I’ve been married to my second spouse now, for over 42 years. The first marriage lasted only a year. In that short year I experienced just about everything you can name, from abuse to successive affairs.

I’ve survived my present marriage by continuing to work (and pray) at not being a divorce statistic. Every day. And it still doesn’t get any easier!

To inspire a successful marriage, here are three ways I’ve learned and managed to practice, and know that they add to my self worth:

1. Develop a value system. Know what’s important to you and treat each other accordingly. Remember the Golden Rule? It works! Depending on your particular values, always balance your time together with work and play.

2. Have faith in a higher authority. Having a spiritual nature leads to a higher level of positive physical energy. Positive energy is required to maintain and express your value to the world inside and outside of the marriage. When your faith makes you feel good; you develop a happy attitude. It shows in your actions.

3. Never try to be right all of the time. The way you voice your opinion puts you in control of it. Stop pushing your desire for self-fulfillment on each other. Look inward and discover your feelings behind the reason you wish to always be right. Can you live with your decision? Will it mean a life and death reaction to yourself, your partner, or to others? If so, take the risk, then accept the consequences of your decision.

May you always nurture success and value in your marriage. It increases your confidence and motivates you to continue discovering what’s important. Each and every one of your experiences, no matter how small, or how big, are priceless.

So, work on achieving a marriage that is more than adequate. That’s never enough. You must want and need an exceptional marriage!