Dating, Courtship, and Marriage. What to expect.

This week we learned about the Laws of Attraction, four different types of love, and Choosing a life partner. Of course these were all very interesting topics to me, seeing as I am still single, and seeking. But a few points I would like to share are these:

Laws of Attraction
1. You tend to marry those who are close to you-whether you meet them around your neighborhood, through shared friends, or at school. You can't marry someone you've never met. :p
2. Similarity-Do you have the same values, personality, and religion as the person you're wanting to get to know? If you are similiar in these things (you laugh at the same jokes, you have the same goals about religion and school, you have similiar personalities) then you are more likely to have a successful marriage. After all, the way you start a marriage is the way that it continues, and you begin to establish the kind of marriage you are going to have long before you're married. Let me interject with a short example:

Amy and Adam were dating. They enjoyed watching movies together, and more often than not, Adam would come over to Amy's house to watch a movie, while she cooked dinner for them. During their engagement, they talked about what would occur. Adam would be the provider in the family, and Amy would stay at home to take care of the house and children. However, when marriage finally comes, it turns out that Amy is the one providing, while Adam sits at home. Why did this happen? They talked about it right? Yes, but their patterns were already set before they even got married. Amy was always the one providing dinner, while Adam came to her house to watch movies. Do you see why this step is so important? Patterns established during courtship determine the kind of marriage you are going to have later on.
3. Physical attraction-This one is pretty much self-explanatory. ;) You first find interest in someone based on looks.
These next three steps are important things to look for as well, when choosing a life partner.
1. Togetherness-Do you have a wide range of activities that you both enjoy doing together?
2. Talk- Also called disclosure. Can you be open with each other about your feelings, past, ect. Is there trust?
3. Time- Generally we only begin to get to know someone at a minimum of 3 months.

All in all, focus on what's most important when seeking a life partner. Someone who will support you in your endeavors, someone who is kind, someone who enjoys being around you, and share the same beliefs and values as you. But also be aware that both of you will change as the relationship progress's, and you will each have to adapt to the other in order to allow growth and fullfillment in your marriage. It takes hard work, not just compatibility.