Rapid Fire: Marriage Straight Talk

Do you and your spouse agree on what is a need and what is a want? How about when it comes to intimacy do you both need and want the same thing. What about expectations about how those needs and wants are met, are your expectations realistic or unrealistic. We'll cover each of these in this episode using intimacy as an example. Sorry, it's going to stay G-rated, but listen anyway as what you learn may change the rating of your time together.

Has your wife ever gotten on you for devoting too much time to an activity? Obviously work is important, everybody needs some time to themselves and what kind of a guy would you be if you didn't help a friend in need when he calls? So, is your wife's irritation justified?

When a prideful attitude is embedded into our marriage, it will over inflate our egos and blind us to our wrongs.

If you were asked to make a list of men who had an influence in your life, who would you put on that list? Would anyone's name be on the list if the list was names of men who influenced you since you got married? Is your name on anyone else's list?

Have you ever participated in a sports activity without rules, I have. It was crazy, unpredictable and dangerous. Does your marriage have rules? If not, it will be crazy, unpredictable and dangerous.

By what standards do you live? Are they fixed or can they change over time. Standards that change causes confusion. This is true in marriage as well. If you want a great marriage, your marriage needs to be guided by standards that are fixed, never changing.

If you want to win at anything you have to have the right attitude. The same is true in marriage. If you want a great marriage, decide you're going to have a great marriage and then do everything you can to achieve that goal.

We all want honor, integrity and respect. You know how to earn it at work, but do you know how to get it in your marriage?

Over the years, Sam and I have used analogies for our marriage tips that have ranged from bull riding to fast food meals to car gauges and more.