So far, we're looked at friendship and partnership as two keys to a great marriage.
Today, we'll look at the third key to building a great marriage which is ….
3. Good Communication
Someone once said, “Marriage is one long conversation, with an occasional disagreement along the way.” A good marriage requires continual quality communication with each other. When communication breaks down, so do marriages.
Good communication is essential to a successful marriage. A leading marriage counselor says that 50% of divorces result from poor communication.
There are different levels of communication: clichés, facts, ideas and opinions, feelings and emotions, and then complete trust and openness. Develop and foster intimacy, warmth and openness. Be tender, easily spoken to, and approachable. Openness leads to greater intimacy. Share your deepest feelings, hopes and fears. Communication is the key to understanding and understanding is the key to intimacy. Talk about everything. Be open and honest with each other.
How is communication in your marriage? Are you still talking and listening to each other? How could you improve your communication this week?
P.S. For some additional thoughts on communication see my blog posts on Listen, Good Listening and Controlled Speaking.