10 Commandments for a Happy Marriage

Sixth Commandment: Thou Shalt Keep Your Own Lives

Photo Credit: Infinit Foto

Many newlyweds are guilty of what I call "puppying," that madly-in-love tendency that makes you want to spend every minute with your spouse, stay in and watch movies instead of going out with friends, literally following him around the house when he gets home from work. I puppied my husband when we were first married, and it took a few weeks to snap out of it—this happens to many of us. You don't have to be joined at the hip, which is a sign of insecurity, not true love. 

In order to have a fulfilling marriage, you and your spouse need to do things on your own: spend time with your own friends, enjoy your own hobbies and try new things on your own. When you keep your own life (and expand it), it makes you all the more interesting and multi-faceted, bringing a happier "you" into the partnership and giving both of you more to love about each other.

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