In my 33 years, I've been married for 14 of them. Since the age of 19, I have learned the hard way what works and what doesn't. Through countless hours of mentoring from great men and women, counseling, and attending the school of hard knocks, this book is what I wish I had when Heidi and I were getting married. It won't solve your problems. But it will give you a reasonable, realistic idea of what to expect and some practical, flexible, and applicable practices to help you work your way through the good times and the bad.
In this book, I cover some of the most problematic areas in nearly any marriage, like Time, Money, Sex, Religion, Children, and finally, Communication. My hope is that others can learn from our mistakes and hard-gained knowledge. My marriage is the largest source of joy in my life outside of my child, but sometimes hard-won. You won't find mystical principles or fluffy lies in this book. I'm honest and blunt.
What was annoying before becomes absolutely maddening, while what was fun and exciting becomes life-affirming.
The greatest thing about being married is also the worst. You have someone by your side at all times, if you want them there or not. It's both fantastic and awful, excellent and horrible, and it will drive you insane and make you the happiest person on the planet at the same time.
In this book, my goal is to cover several areas that both statistically and in my personal experience are the critical factors in either driving your spouse away or bringing you two together. Let me start by saying this, there will be no fluff in this. No fancy words to make you feel better or try and change your life in three steps. Being a good spouse is hard work, but it is worth it. This book is the culmination of what I have learned through hard knocks with Heidi and that I wished I knew before we got married. I designed it for engaged couples; I have a married couple's book in the works. Also, this is advice from a regular guy and gal to other ordinary guys and gals. No pretenses about how smart I am or that Heidi and I have a perfect marriage. I hope this book helps you and your spouse in your new life together!