'The Concept of entering Marriage as you would enter a Business Partnership'

Marriage

A general definition of marriage is that it is a social contract between two individuals that unites their lives legally, economically and emotionally. Being married also gives legitimacy to sexual relations within the marriage.

The stages of marriage are:

• Just married,

• Parenting,

• Empty nest,

• Midlife,

• Grand parenting,

• Widow/Widower.

• Life alone!

If you understand the process a marriage goes through, then you will be better equipped to adapt to its changing needs.

When you start out in your life together it may seem silly to be writing down University Funds and Retirement plans but these should be included in your list of things you want to achieve. You wouldn’t accept a job without looking at the long-term benefits of the job would you? Same applies to your future life together. It should be well thought out and well planned. There can be no room for drastic errors.

So, what should this strategy contain?

• Your hopes dreams (however large or small)

• Your expectations of each other

• The home you both want

• Where you would like to live

• How many children you will have

• When you will have these children you both want

• Mutual finances

• Mutual families

• Hobbies and interests

• Career and educational opportunities

• Health Insurance

• University fund for children

• Retirement Plans

Successful Marriages and Partnerships

Marriage has traditionally been understood as a social contract between a man (husband) and a woman (wife).  Successful ‘Marriages and Partnerships’are based on a solid emotional foundation. The range of emotional and physical issues a long-term marriage/partnership experiences are as follows:

• A Decision to love one another

• Finances

• Families – In-Laws

• Family Planning

• Parenting

• Domesticity (household chores)

• Sexual issues

• Stress

• Careers

Types of Marriages

In today’s modern world, there exists different styles of marriage:

• Same sex marriages

• Arranged marriages

• Second/third, etc. marriages

• Cousin marriage

• Prison marriages (Death Row marriages)

When you decide on that ‘someone special’ you have chosen to settle down with, you are ‘forming a partnership.’ This partnership should be equal, loving, have healthy boundaries to allow for growth. To form a healthy partnership you both need to share your innermost thoughts and feelings so that you can put together a mutually satisfying strategy that will enable you in your future together.

Partnership

It is difficult to give a clear definition of a partnership, but the essential ingredients are:

• To achieve something they could not do alone

• Pooling skills and other resources.

• Shared vision of their goals,

• Working together to reach their goals

• Long-term formal structure,

• Shorter-term agreement.

The benefits of a business partnership, are as follows:

• Sharing ideas

• Sharing/Joint finances

• Common/Joint ambitions

• Two sets of skills being brought into the partnership

• Support, loyalty, commitment

• Learning to see things differently, through someone else’s eyes.

• Both working toward the same objective can be achieved faster than doing it alone!

The joining of the marriage criteria and the business partnership criteria make for a substantial foundation for your future together. If it is possible to stick to the agreed points on the both criteria’s then you would have a wonderful life together! But life isn’t like that is it?

On your journey through your life you can encounter major problems, such as:

• Bankruptcy

• Infidelity/Betrayal

• Illness (parents and children)

• Redundancy

• Financial difficulties

• Sexuality issues

• Sexual problems

• Differing opinions which cause serious effects to the relationship

• Separation/Divorce

• Extended family disputes

• Death

I am sure you can think of many more.

This is a taste bite of a forthcoming publication and is called:' How to Overcome Betrayal: A Practical Guide'