Marriage is the celebration of two people making their relationship official – a union made with the best intentions to stay together forever and start a family together.
The sheer spike in divorce rates is enough to tell us that this is a partnership that shouldn’t be entered into lightly. Love can conquer all and love can be incredibly amazing, but love alone simply isn’t enough.
What if your potential spouse displays difficult behavior traits that, over time, will only get worse and become more and more challenging? If there are more than one or two red flags now, they won’t suddenly disappear just because you get married.
In addition to love, you need to be marrying your best friend. Yes, you will argue and yes, you will have your problems – that’s why it’s SO important to marry your best friend so that you can communicate efficiently and work through all of life’s obstacles together.
Here are 7 top signs marriage isn’t for you:
You have never-ending doubts niggling your brain.
It’s normal to be a little bit nervous in the lead up to your wedding, but if you have a few niggling doubts that persistently plague your thoughts, listen to your intuition. Studies show women who have doubts before their wedding are significantly more likely to be unhappy with their marriage.
You think things will get better.
Experts discovered that newlyweds who hoped their relationship would get better show the most substantial decrease in marital happiness. Problems won’t disappear just because he puts a ring on it.
Love isn’t enough.
Relationships will always have their ups and downs, and life will always throw you the odd curveball, so it’s vital that you have so much more to keep you bonded together. Similar goals, interests and general personality compatibility all play a key role in keeping your marriage strong and long. If you don’t share the same long-term goals, how can you agree on a future that will make you both happy?
They’re not financially independent.
Did you know that one of the most common things for couples to argue about is money? Sharing a house and your life with someone who isn’t financially independent could become highly problematic and cause feelings of resentment. We all have to start somewhere like JR and I did, and you can be the woman he builds an empire with. Just make sure you’re both financially independent before entering into marriage.
Your partner has a risky past.
If they were known as a heartbreaker or displayed other types of dysfunctional behavior like excessive drinking, dishonesty, and unfaithfulness, you need to carefully consider whether you should be marrying them.
You’re afraid of being alone.
Breakups are always emotionally difficult, but that’s absolutely no reason to stay with the wrong person. Being single gives you more time to focus on yourself and your own life goals. The better you know and love yourself, the better you can love someone else.
If you’ve stayed with your partner simply because it seemed like a better option than being alone, jump ship now!
You think you’re too old to be back on the shelf.
This is as detrimental as staying with someone because you don’t want to be alone. Staying with the wrong person will never make you happy. A lot of my celebrity friends have experienced breakdowns in long-term relationships and marriages, and have found the love of their lives in their late forties. Love doesn’t see age – never be afraid to be alone – see it as an opportunity to reset your happiness and life goals and start over.
