Some Marriage Advice
Norman Vincent Peale

  

Men and women who embark on marriage owe it to themselves, and to their children who will eventually continue the institution, to try with all their strength to build and maintain a serene, loving atmosphere in their home.  We would like to offer these practical suggestions as to how it may be done.

1.   Before you marry be sure that you know your minds as well as your hearts are attuned to each other.  There must be at the start a community of beliefs, and attitudes, and goals.  But minimize, rather than make an issue of, any lack of agreement you may find after marriage.

2.   Grow along together, as the circumstances of your life bring new viewpoints and interests.  Do not allow one of you to stand still, while the other marches ahead.

3.   Never forget that marriage is not a contest of wills but an equal partnership in which each must share and share alike the rewards as well as the sorrows.

4.   Learn the wisdom of talking things over together frankly.  One of the great philosophers said, "There is no hurt that cannot be cured by quiet talking."  Discuss your problems and grievances without rancor, and with a will to adjust to them.  But if you do quarrel remember the old admonition to settle it before you go to sleep.

5.   Do not be timid about discussing money.  It is joint property after marriage.  Reach a clear understanding about finances, so that both of you will know where you stand.  Keep it an open subject just as any other partners in any other business enterprise would.
  
6.   Do not expect of your spouse what he or she should not by right be expected to give.  Your wife cannot be a mother to you, nor your husband a father.

7.   Loyalty is priceless.  Never discuss your mate with family or friend.

8.   Treat your children, not as copies or extensions of yourself, but as individuals with personalities of their own.  Help them to develop.  If there is disagreement or uncertainty about their training, seek the advice of a counselor or your pastor.  But avoid bickering in front of them in discussing their problems, or arguing about how they should be brought up.

9.   Surround yourself, as far as possible, with friends who have ideals similar to yours and who believe in the same things.

10.   Regard marriage as something to be entered into and kept.  The determination to make it work is of the utmost importance.  Its success may depend on this attitude.

It is true that marriage is difficult.  There is no purpose in trying to deny a fact which experience so clearly proves.  But experience also shows that it difficulties can be met, its promised high rewards can be won.  Husbands and wives can live happily together and bring up children who will develop into contented and useful people.  They can and they will if they base their union on a true understanding of themselves and each other, and on a sincere practice of the principles of their religion.

  


 
quotations - contents - welcome page - obstacles
our current e-zine - the people behind the words - articles and excerpts
Daily Meditations, Year One - Year Two - Year Three - Year Four
     

Sign up for your free daily spiritual or general quotation
~ ~ Sign up for your free daily meditation

   

  
tm

All contents © Living Life Fully, all rights reserved.

   

HOME - contents - Daily Meditations - abundance - acceptance - achievement - action - adversity - advertising - aging - ambition
anger - anticipation - anxiety - apathy - appreciation - arrogance - art - attitude - authenticity - awakening - awareness - awe
balance - beauty - being yourself - beliefs - body - brooding - busyness - caring - celebration - challenges -
change - character
charity - children - choices - Christianity - coincidence - commitment - common sense - community - comparison - compassion
competition - complaining - compliments - compromise - confidence - conformity - conscience - contentment - control - cooperation
courage - covetousness - creativity - crisis - criticism - cruelty -  death - decisions - desire - determination - disappointment
discipline - discouragement - diversity - doubt - dreams - earth - education - ego - emotions - encouragement - enlightenment
enthusiasm - envy - eternity - ethics - example - exercise - experience - failure - faith - fame - family - fate - fathers - fault-finding
fear - feelings - finances - flowers - forgiveness - freedom - friendship - frustration - fun - the future - garden of life - gardening
generosity - gentleness - giving - goals - God - goodness - grace - gratitude - greatness - greed - grief - growing up - guilt - habit
happiness - hatred - healing - health - heart - helpfulness - home - honesty - hope - hospitality - humility - hurry - ideals - identity
idleness  - idolatry - ignorance - illusion - imagination - impatience - individuality - the inner child - inspiration - integrity - intimacy
introspection - intuition - jealousy - journey of life - joy - judgment - karma - kindness - knowledge - language - laughter - laziness
leadership - learning - letting go - life - listening - loneliness - love - lying - magic - marriage - materialism - meanness - meditation
mindfulness - miracles - mistakes - mistrust - moderation - money - mothers - motivation - music - mystery - nature - negative attitude
now - oneness - open-mindedness - opportunity - optimism - pain - parenting - passion - the past - patience - peace - perfectionism
perseverance - perspective - pessimism - play - poetry - positive thoughts - possessions - potential - poverty - power - praise
prayer
- prejudice - pride - principle - problems - progress - prosperity - purpose - reading -recreation - reflection - relationships
religion - reputation - resentment - respect - responsibility - rest - revenge - risk - role models - running - ruts - sadness - safety
seasons of life - self - self-love - self-pity - self-reliance - self-respect selfishness - serving others - shame - silence - simplicity
slowing down - smiles -solitude - sorrow - spirit - stories - strength - stress - stupidity - success - suffering - talent
the tapestry of life - teachers - thoughts - time - today - tolerance - traditions - trees - trust - truth - unfulfilled dreams - values
vanity - virtue - vulnerability - walking - war - wealth - weight issues - wisdom - women - wonder - work - worry - worship
youth - spring - summer - fall - winter - Christmas - Thanksgiving - New Year - America - Zen sayings - articles & excerpts
Native American wisdom - The Law of Attraction - obstacles to living life fully - e-zine archives - quotations contents
our most recent e-zine - Great Thinkers - the people behind the words

  

We have some inspiring and motivational books that may interest you.  Our main way of supporting this site is through the sale of books, either physical copies or digital copies for your Amazon Kindle (including the online reader).  All of the money that we earn through them comes back to the site in one way or another.  Just click on the picture to the left to visit our page of books, both fiction and non-fiction!

   

      
    

Yes, life can be mysterious and confusing--but there's much of life that's actually rather dependable and reliable.  Some principles apply to life in so many different contexts that they can truly be called universal--and learning what they are and how to approach them and use them can teach us some of the most important lessons that we've ever learned.
My doctorate is in Teaching and Learning.  I use it a lot when I teach at school, but I also do my best to apply what I've learned to the life I'm living, and to observe how others live their lives.  What makes them happy or unhappy, stressed or peaceful, selfish or generous, compassionate or arrogant?  In this book, I've done my best to pass on to you what I've learned from people in my life, writers whose works I've read, and stories that I've heard.  Perhaps these principles can be a positive part of your life, too!
Universal Principles of Living Life Fully.  Awareness of these principles can explain a lot and take much of the frustration out of the lives we lead.