If it’s hard for you to apologize to your spouse, have you ever asked yourself why? At the root of it, pride may be the core issue. When we tell

someone that we’re sorry for doing (or not doing) something, we’re essentially admitting that we were wrong. Sometimes that can be hard to do. But what you might not realize

is opening yourself up in this way will make your spouse more receptive to understanding you, accepting you and moving past whatever the mistake or offense was. If you don’t apologize, you

come off as being harsh and cold-hearted. A little arrogant too. No one finds any of those traits attractive, no matter how in love with you they might be.

Someone once said that the best way to make your grass greener is not to look at someone else’s but to water your own. Adding to that, sometimes “The Joneses”

are not as well off as you might think. They might have a new house but are steeped in debt. They might travel the world but they argue on every

trip. They might seem like the perfect couple but they haven’t had sex in months. Comparing your relationship to someone else’s is not only counterproductive but unrealistic. Focus on your

marriage and what the two of you have going on. The more you do that, the greater chance it has to thrive.

Do you want to be right? Or do you want to be happy? Dr. Phil is the one who made those two questions popular. Marriage is most certainly about compromise.

You’re not going to be very good at doing that if you want to win every disagreement, you always have to be right or you’re addicted to having the last

word. If you’re naturally competitive, it can be really challenging to choose your battles. Our advice? Ask yourself if it’s more important to have peace or to win? The answer

to that question will reveal a lot about the state of your relationship. The course of it too.

10-15 percent of married couples have sex less than once a month. Technically, that equates to a sexless marriage. Things like stress, emotional disconnection and hectic schedules can all play

a role in why some couples are not as intimate as they probably need to be. Another problem is a lack of affection that isn’t related to foreplay. Do you

and yours hold hands? Do you hug? When’s the last time you made out like teenagers in the kitchen? Affection is what helps you to feel loved and safe. If

you’re not being intentional about being this way with your spouse, it’s a habit that needs to break. Sooner than later.

I’ll pay the cable bill. I’ll pick the kids up. Yep, I have dinner covered. These might seem like “little things”, but if you constantly drop the ball on them, that

affects trust and every marriage needs loads and loads of that in order to remain secure. Just because you share a home with your spouse, don’t get so comfortable that

you think it’s OK to not keep your word to them. It’s a sign of respect when you do. It’s a character flaw if you don’t. And that could put

more cracks into the foundation of your relationship than you might realize.

What comes to your mind when you think of the word “spontaneity”? For us, it’s ones like impulsive, surprising, passionate, fun and fresh. Don’t all of those sound like adjectives

that you want to define your marriage? It’s unrealistic (and stressful) to think that every day you can come up with something new. But at least once a month, mention cooking

a new recipe together, checking out a club you’ve never been to that plays live music or having sex in a spot that you’ve never tried (in or out of

the house). Routine is good as it relates to reaching goals. Always being predictable in a relationship can lead to laziness and that’s not the best habit for your marriage.

Try something new and watch how your spouse notices the effort that you’re putting into them and your relationship. Then pay attention to how they respond to you, in a

good way, because of it!