Tag: maintain

Take care of your car and it will take care of you. Most of us recognize this truth when it comes to routine maintenance, but what about the condition of the interior?

It may not cause a breakdown, but a car with holes in the carpet can create safety problems for the driver, like a stuck high heel and a car with shoddy interior will also suffer when it comes to resale value. Making sure your interior stays clean and undamaged is a project the entire family can chip in on.

The simple act of being married is easy. However, maintaining a solid, happy relationship does take effort on both sides. The tough part is that sometimes we simply don't know what to do to "maintain."

Like any problem, we first have to understand the issue before we can try to correct the situation. It's sometimes all too easy to forget our feelings and lose that "connection" with our spouse, especially after years and years of marriage. These issues can either sneak up on us or we can see it coming from a mile away, and many times we don't know how to deal with it or what to do to make the situation better.

If your marriage feels stuck or out-of-whack, maybe it’s time to take a step back to consider what you’re willing to give to—and what you want to get from—your relationship. Relationships tend to thrive when partners have similar needs and desires. Yet we sometimes don’t take the time to ponder the qualities we need to feel in sync with our partner. By taking an honest look at the key traits that are deal breakers for you—what I have come to term "essential qualities" such as honesty, respect, and kindness—you’ll get straight to the heart of your relationship issues.

In a couple of months, my wife and I will be celebrating our 42nd wedding anniversary. Folks from all walks of life from different ages and ethnic backgrounds ask me how a couple maintains a close, growing, long lasting relationship.

Here are 10 suggestions:

1. Assume that there will be conflict in your relationship.