You got married hoping for a soul mate, but ended up in a relationship that feels like a roommate.
You know that marriages are never perfect. You expect occasional disagreements and a certain boredom that comes after a while from living together.
The experts say that a good marriage partner does four things very well: communicates, resolves problems, builds trust, and does nice things for their spouse. You rarely have those experiences with your partner.
You think about divorce, but you’re scared. You tolerate a known meaningless marriage to avoid an unknown future. Maybe this is as good it gets, and you should lower your expectations and be grateful for what you have.
What should you do?
- Begin with you. Before you demonize your partner, reflect upon your own behaviors. Are you happy with yourself? Do you act in ways that are caring, enthusiastic, and positive? Are you the type of person that others enjoy being around? Do others trust you and view you as a valued friend?Bad marriages are rarely the responsibility of only one partner. What happens over time is that a spouse develops negative habits in response to the behavior of the other. This is the “I