Am I Ready for Marriage? Questions to Ask Yourself Before Getting Married

When you're thinking about marriage, it can be easy to focus most of your attention on the person you're planning to marry. Is this the right person for me? Will they be a good husband or wife? Do they have the qualities I'm looking for in a spouse? There is another person you need to evaluate just as honestly: yourself. Have you thought about what you need and want from a marriage? Are you aware of your own flaws and limitations? Are you honest about your ambitions and the kind of life you want to build? Most importantly, have you…

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Self-Acceptance vs. External Validation: Why It Matters in Relationships 

How much does your partner's opinion affect the way you feel about yourself? Most people want to feel accepted, valued, and acknowledged by the person they love. You may want your partner to recognize your feelings, appreciate your strengths, understand where you struggle, or reassure you when you're feeling insecure. Co-dependency on a partner and needing healthy acknowledgements, compliments and recognition is not the same.  There is a vast difference between requiring acknowledgements from your partner and needing their approval to feel good about yourself. When your confidence, decisions, appearance, abilities, or sense of self-worth repeatedly depend on how your…

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