Many people will ask how married life is treating you shortly after the wedding. You may find that you don’t know how to respond. You’re probably experiencing both positive and negative emotions, so the answer may be complicated.
Marriage is a life-changing event, and good events as well as bad can create a certain amount of stress. Both types of events also require adjustment. You would have many similar feelings if you had recently started a new business. Doing so is a positive thing, but any type of partnership requires time to settle in, agree on ground rules, and make adjustments.
The comparison of marriage and business makes sense in other ways as well. The more you invest in either one, the more you are willing to give of yourself, the greater your return or satisfaction will be. The difference between the two is that in business, you can keep personal issues out of the mix. In marriage, you cannot, if you want your personal relationship to be meaningful.
Purchasing a home together, sharing bills, and other business-like transactions tend to become complicated when personal issues and emotions enter the picture. Marriage is a partnership that affects every aspect of your life. If you understand this before you decide to get married, or learn to accept this fact soon after marriage, you will be better able to cope with the demands.
You are likely to have periods of doubt, but don’t give in to negative feelings. Just like starting a business, the marriage partnership takes time to find a good balance. Your spouse is also learning to adjust and the two of you need to open regarding feelings and concerns. You can work through these issues together, guided by love, trust, and wanting what is best for the person with whom you have chosen to share your life.
Think of your commitment to each other not just as “married life” but married for life.
You Can’t Change Each Other (Or Can You?)