A good marriage can be accomplished if you and your spouse possess some characters necessary to promote emotional stability in your marriage. One of the biggest challenges facing marriages in our society is the lack of gender equality which places many women at a disadvantage due to certain religious principles and educational disparity.
Little wonder why boys who have been raised to feel superior to their female siblings are more likely to struggle with emotional intelligence because of the childhood misconception especially in today’s changing society. Most qualities needed to sustain emotional stability in adulthood can be nurtured from childhood through parents and caregivers who have also experienced the benefits too.
Honesty
If your spouse is a product of emotionally unstable parents, he/she is more likely to become emotionally insecure too in his adult live. However, being honest is the first step to becoming emotionally secure as you also become aware of the impacts this can have on your relationship and marital wellbeing. Honesty is taking responsibility for your own life and the mistakes you have made and having the courage to work together with your spouse to restore the failures and change the narratives for yourself, family and generations to come.
Humility
True love can only be expressed through the act of humility. A proud and egotistic spouse cannot experience true love as it takes humility to show and receive affection. Humility is one of the finest qualities of an emotionally stable spouse and a character that often brings the best outcomes in marriage.
A spouse who is humble is always prepared to put his/her own pride aside and acknowledge his imperfections. Such a spouse is also not ashamed to admit his/her wrongdoings, considerate enough to ask for forgiveness and saying ‘sorry’ is not a sign of weakness but strength.
Forgiving
Conflicts play an important role in every marriage as they are intended to facilitate communication so that couples can both share their feelings. Everyone has a right to freedom of opinion and expression whether it is right or wrong and no one has the right to take that freedom away in the name of love.
Loving is forgiving, an emotionally stable spouse always defuses disagreements before they escalate, continually grateful and joyful as he or she makes the choice that focuses on forgiving rather than creating discord in the marriage.
Adaptability
Marriage like the individuals that make up the union is flexible because nothing is stagnant, and change is inevitable in life too. A good marriage is subject to growth when couples are willing to adapt to changes both in the present and in future.
Adaptability is an emotional intelligence needed to facilitate the different changes that occur in marriage. A spouse who can adapt will be able to seek different ways of responding to different situations without compromising their partner’s desires.
Optimism
Everyone desires to be safe and happy especially in this exceedingly difficult time when life seems unpredictable. Optimism is a great antidote in this current situation and one which can only be present in a spouse with emotional intelligence. A spouse who is full of optimism is often self-motivated and always sees the positive sides of every challenging situation which can improve his or her wellbeing and that of their partner.
Credit: Elizabeth Badejo, Punch