Sustaining a Long Term Relationship: Why Do Some Relationships Work While Others Fail

<p>Special guest <em>Tim Roberts</em> joins <em>Kevin Evans</em> to discuss the secrets of making a long term relationship work.  Tim has been married for 40 years, has five children and eight grandkids.  Kevin got divorced after a 23 year marriage and is now dating again.<br/><br/>There is no such thing as a perfect relationship.  It&apos;s a fallacy and takes effort, commitment and determination by both parties to make it work.<br/><br/><b>There are three stages in a relationship:</b>  <em>Honeymoon Phase; Family Phase;  Empty Nester Phase.</em>  Most are prepared for the first two, but don&apos;t prepare for the third.<br/><br/>To have a successful relationship, a couple needs to focus on making it work and avoiding pitfalls.  <br/><br/><b>Secrets of a successful relationship include:</b></p><ul><li>Communication:  Listen and practice empathy</li><li>Honesty.  Your partner is your confidant</li><li>Praise in public, Criticize in private</li><li>Trust.  Respect boundaries</li><li>Fight fair.  Don&apos;t name call or rehash past infractions</li><li>Don&apos;t go to bed angry</li><li>Grow as a person and couple, don&apos;t CHANGE. There is a difference</li><li>Compromise and balance</li><li>Intimacy is critical, both physical and emotional</li><li>Keep romance alive.  Water and fertilize the relationship</li><li>Don&apos;t compare the relationship or your partner to others</li><li>Support</li></ul>