How To Create Better Relationships: 6 Surprising Lessons From 28 Years Of Marriage

In this episode, you are getting the 6 secrets to a lasting partnership.

You will learn how to make love last and the key to keeping your relationship successful and strong.

Today, Mel and her husband Chris dive deep into the most important lessons they've learned in 28 years of marriage.

Mel and Chris share their real-time reactions to each other’s insights as they dive deep into the keys to a lasting relationship.

Together, they unpack how to handle resentment and unmet expectations, how to navigate family pressures, personal growth, and much more.

Whether you're in a relationship, navigating one, or simply curious about how to build a lasting connection, this episode offers authentic and relatable relationship advice you’ve never heard before.

If you liked this episode and would like to know more about how to build connection that lasts, listen to this episode next: The Best Relationship Advice No One Ever Told You

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• Disclaimer

In this episode:

• 5:06: What Mel's parents' 56 year love story can teach you.
• 8:35: Commitment is only the beginning: the real work starts here. 
• 15:37: Going beyond the surface: the small ways to show you care about your partner. 
• 22:38: The power of “we” over “me” in a relationship. 
• 30:13: How to see your partner differently (and why it matters).
• 37:00: Why forcing change onto your partner could be pushing you apart.
• 46:42: How to evolve together without drifting apart.
• 52:05: Money’s silent role in your relationship.
• 1:04:17: Why contribution matters more than control.
• 1:08:11: When actions speak louder than intentions.
• 1:15:41: Refueling your connection: find your ways to realign.

‍Resources:

• The Gottman Institute: Transforming Criticism into Wishes: A Recipe for Successful Conflict
• Institute for Family Studies: For Most Couples Who Stay the Course, Marriage Gets Better With Time
• Pew Research Center: Key findings on marriage and cohabitation in the U.S.
• American Psychological Association: Can this marriage be saved? 
• Cornell University: 3 Secrets to a Long Marriage – From Those Who Made It
• The Globe and Mail: How do long marriages survive? Couples share the secrets of their long-haul unions
• Time Magazine: The Science Behind Happy Relationships
• Scientific American: Deciphering the Language of Love
• UC Berkeley: When Are You Sacrificing Too Much in Your Relationship?
• Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Giving up and giving in: The costs and benefits of daily sacrifice in intimate relationships.
• Behavioral Sciences: Refuting Six Misconceptions about Romantic Love
• Greater Good Magazine: How Often Do Couples Express Compassion to Each Other?
• Indiana University: Married couples who merge finances may be happier, stay together longer
• International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Link between Financial Management Behaviors and Quality of Relationship and Overall Life Satisfaction among Married and Cohabiting Couples‍
• CNN: The secrets to managing money as a couple