Three Tips for Getting the Most From Your Marriage

How to feel more loved every single day:
1 – Assume love.
When your spouse’s or life partner’s behavior upsets you, stop, assume for the moment he or she is still the same wonderful person and still loves you very much. Now try to explain how he or she might have done this if this is true. You’ll stop your knee-jerk reactions long enough to see the situation a lot more clearly. It’s too easy to overlook love when we go with our first impressions.
2 – Expect love.
Expect your mate to show you love in many different ways, but not necessarily in the particular ways you imagined you’d be loved. If you’re watching for one way, you’ll miss all the others.
3 – Seek the Third Alternative.
When one of you wants one thing and the other wants something else, don’t argue about which to choose. Look for the third alternative. It’s one that makes both of you at least as happy as you’d be with your first choice. Make it clear you want your spouse to have all that and more, just not at the expense of your own needs.
To find it, you’ll need to know what you hope to get from your first choice and what you hope to avoid from his (or hers). Then you’ll need to ask for the same guidance from your spouse. Once you know what you’re looking for, start brainstorming. Don’t waste any time arguing for your first choice, because it won’t make both of you happy, and that’s the goal for a lifelong marriage.