61. Building A Stronger Marriage (Even If Your Spouse Doesn't Like You Right Now)

Hey guys, Chris and Melissa here with another Family Brand podcast! Recently, we celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary so we took some time to reflect on what we have learned through all of our ups and downs together so far.

We posted on Instagram just a few of our thoughts on this topic and your feedback was incredible! Our DMs and comments were blowing up with questions about marriage, family, and how we went from the brink of divorcing to now being more in love than ever before…

That is why today we wanted to answer a few of those questions and maybe give encouragement to any of you who are currently struggling in your marriage. If you're new here, we have to be transparent and let you know our marriage wasn't always solid…

In fact, we wanted to end it after only a few years. At one point, it felt like things would never change or get better. It only took one of us to take a stand for our marriage and a new vision for our family started to unfold. Looking back now we will always be grateful for that season because we can say without a doubt that it's gotten so much better.

Whether your marriage is on the mountaintop, or in the valley, this episode will help you start building an even stronger marriage.

Join us as we talk about the lessons that we learned through first-hand experience and how learning to lead well starts with yourself. We talk about the dangers of complacency, finding ways to appreciate your spouse, regular check-ins to know where you are, and even the right words to start that hard conversation.

It's not easy, it takes hard work, vulnerability, and a lot of courage from you both to start this journey, but a whole new life could be on the other side.

Marriage must incessantly contend with a monster

that devours everything: familiarity. - Honore de Balzac

If you know you will need an extra dose of courage, to start building again, we invite you to go back and check out Episode 49 where we talk about how to instill insane courage in yourself and your family.

More Of What's Inside:

• The most valuable lessons we have learned in marriage
• Learning how to have fun with each other (in any season)
• Date night: Why it should be a must for every couple
• Why you need to do "regular check-ins"
• Achieving more of your goals together
• What to say to your spouse when you don't know what to say
• Someone has to step up…why not you?
• Our tips on how to start falling in love again
• Leveraging and appreciating your different strengths
• Finding the truth of a rough patch
• And much more!

LINKS:

• Episode 49 - How To Instill Insane Courage In Your Family

Website:

• familybrand.com

Social:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/FamilyBrandOfficial
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/ourfamilybrand
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCGu-7odB6gkPbyXpUIQLkrg
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/OurFamilyBrand

Free course:

• familybrand.com/10steps

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 0:02 - What we cover today
• 0:42 - Celebrating our 17th anniversary!
• 2:14 - Reflecting on our journey
• 4:05 - Taking the time to appreciate your spouse
• 6:14 - How we avoid complacency
• 8:11 - Finding what you like and expanding it
• 9:21 - Answering your questions and feedback
• 10:53 - For those who are struggling in their marriage
• 14:36 - The courage of vulnerability and leadership
• 17:16 - The importance of leading yourself
• 19:26 - Committing to work better together
• 23:13 - Closing thoughts