If your marriage was failing, what did you do to turn it around?

Yesterday, as I was getting dinner ready, I was able to listen to a podcast called The Male/Female Hour by Dennis Prager.  He calls it the most honest talk about men and women in America.  

The question that he posed to his listeners was this: 

 If your marriage was failing, what did you do to turn it around?  

So, there are two things that are implied here:  the marriage relationship was headed for disaster and something changed it's course and restored it.  

So intriguing, right!

So, as I made some of our favorite sweet potato biscuits (recipe below :) ), I listened intently to the callers responses.  A common theme I heard was that each caller chose to work on their own baggage.  They chose to let go of expectations on their spouse and instead focused on changing themselves.  This is was the key.  

It sounds so easy, right?!  

Ummm...not so much.

We all know that it takes a lot of work to keep any relationship working well, but especially in a marriage.  

What about sex? 

One woman caller shared how she also tried to make some significant changes in physical intimacy, by initiating more with her spouse.  It wasn't the area she wanted to see changes in.  However, she knew this was where her husband was frustrated.  So, she decided to step up and initiate more often.

She shared that those little changes were noticed by her husband and he in turn, made positive changes in areas that she had long nagged about, but without results.  

Owning our stuff.  It's hard.  It's even harder to make changes.

But, it's so worth it.  Each caller mentioned how their marriages are immeasurably better for pursuing change and doing the hard work.  

Whatever it may be for you, own it and for the sake of your spouse, start taking baby steps to make changes.

I'm glad we're in this together!  (and we'd love to hear any of your stories to share on here if you're willing to share).