When it comes to marriage, we can all add our own experiences in order to form a coherent manual on how to keep a marriage successful and happy. However, what does it even mean to have a successful marriage? What does it mean to be happy in a marriage? These two things can differ for couples all over the world. 

If you ask someone on the street what their idea of a successful and happy marriage is, it might be completely different from yours. Is a successful marriage one that lasts indefinitely? Or, is it a marriage that lasted as long as it could and ended with a mutual agreement or understanding between partners? Perhaps, a happy marriage is what it means to have a successful marriage. 

What is a happy and successful marriage to you? That is a question you will have to ask yourself before continuing to the first chapter. In the end, a marriage is only what we make of it. There are countless marriages ending in divorce for the simple reason of unmatched expectations. 

When partners go into marriage, they have expectations - everyone does. Unfortunately, some partners only realize this after marriage. 

Communication. 

You have most likely heard that word so many times that it drives you insane. However, it's true. Even for partners who are not married, communication is one of the most important aspects of marriage. 

After clearing up how to communicate, we will be focusing on how to express yourself. One of the biggest problems in marriage after communication is expression. We do not always know how to express our feelings or opinions; we’re only human, after all. 

We will then be going over some things that might seem very obvious to some, yet foreign concepts to others. 

When going into marriage, many people expect the couple to become one unit. Function as one with everything they do, but that is impossible. We are all individuals. No matter how close you might be with your partner, no matter how similar you might be, individuality does not just disappear. Everyone needs time to be that individual. Thus, we will be covering how to actually exist together. As I said before, it might be obvious to some, but others do not find it to be so. 

After understanding these three topics, you will be able to look at your marriage and realize one of two things. Either you already have a happy and successful marriage, and you are just looking for problems where there are none, or you do not have a happy and successful marriage, and you will have to work with your partner to get it back to that level. 

So, as a first step, I suggest listening to this book together. If you are sitting alone listening to this in secret because you do not want your partner to know, well, go ask them to listen to it with you. Tell them you want to do this because you feel it is necessary. 

Whatever your situation with your partner, this is something you will have to do together. Both of you will have to put your expectations aside and try to see your marriage or future marriage from an objective standpoint. The thing is, emotions can cloud your judgment. Whether you are a man or a woman, emotions are ever-present. 

Having emotions means you're human, which also means you can make mistakes. If you are sitting and reading this thinking to yourself that it will finally show your partner what they have been doing wrong, well, then you might not be as innocent as you thought. It is always possible that a marriage may be having problems due to one partner; however, that is not the best way to look at it. 

Instead of thinking that way, let's go through each of these chapters together. After that, you will be able to look at each other and know that your marriage will be able to withstand anything!