Are Single Women Happier?

Beautiful woman with confidence

Wedding season is in full bloom. Thousands of single women are changing their status on FB, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. When they do, will they be happier? According to research by Mintel, a leading market intelligence company, maybe not.  And their traditional marriage might be the reason.

Traditional Marriage Leads to Unhappiness

I’ll explain…

For years I saw so many of my girlfriends trade in their carefree and girlish lifestyle to become disappointed or disgruntled wives.  Of course, that wasn’t what they expected on their wedding day. Their intention was to get the “happily ever after” they thought was the implied promise of marriage.  However, after the kids came and especially if they were still working outside the home, they experienced a new and very different reality.

Ditching Traditional Marriage

The matter of happiness was one of my “problems” with traditional marriage. By the time I met Joseph, I’d seen enough of thorny marriages. So, while I really wanted to have a partner in life, and Joseph was the right person, I wasn’t ready to trade-in my hard-won independence for something less.

How could I prevent that disillusioning shift from happening in my marriage, and subsequently my life, that I saw in so many others?

Creating a Marriage That Isn’t Suffocating

The first step I took was creating a “deciding question” that would be my guide. It was my way of checking in with myself and my feelings.  The question I chose then (and still ask myself today) was: “Am I happier now than when I was single?”

A Marriage with Reflection & Discussion

When I ask that question, and I answer honestly, I either affirm that I’m on the right track or if I’m not, I give myself permission to figure out why. Once I do, and because it’s how The Five-Year Marriage® works, I bring it up at a family meeting. Joseph, my partner, and I have a conversation about it. We make adjustments as needed. These conversations allow us to air our grievances, affirm what’s working and figure out a way to move forward, together.

Family Meetings are the highway both Joseph and I travel to ensure we are getting what we both need. They are a two-way street.

Give it a try.

Take the First Step

Get quiet and ask yourself: Am I happier now than when I was single? WAIT for the answer. It might come fast or slow. It could surface as a word, or as a feeling, or maybe even an impulse. Pay attention, make some notes, have a family meeting.

Discover a New Approach to Marriage!

The Five-Year Marriage® doesn’t mean five years and you’re out. It’s grounded in the reality that things change and people change. Because they do, from time to time you need to rethink, reorganize, and reset your relationship. Five years is a good time frame for doing it.

When you do, you get a fresh start. Your “new” marriage will reflect who you are now, not who you were five years ago, or even on your wedding day – before you had kids, moved, changed jobs or careers, or had that big fight.

Want to learn more about transitioning from a traditional marriage to a Five-Year Marriage®? Here are your next steps:

#FiveYearMarriage, #PartnershipMarriage, #ContractMarriage, #VictoriousWoman, #AreYouHappy

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What is the Five-Year Marriage®?

Created by Annmarie Kelly, the Five-Year Marriage® is a concept of restructuring marriage agreements every five years to take into consideration external and internal changes happening to each person in the relationship. This periodic assessment of each person’s happiness, fulfillment, obligations and goals creates a safe space for each person to grow and change, together. The result is a relationship that grows stronger and more intimate over time. This collection of articles is a dep dive into the  different concepts proposed in the book, The Five-Year Marriage® and deserve a space for additional exploration and discussion.

Five Year Marriage

The Five-Year Marriage is a ground-breaking new concept for marriage. Every five year the couple spiritually ends one marriage and begins a new one - with new agreements and goals

Marriage advice

Articles, tips and tools for married couples. This advice encourages habits and practices that empower both people in the relationship.

The Five-Year Marriage: Shifting the Marriage Paradigm

Posts and articles about the revolutionary book, The Five-Year Marriage by Annmarie Kelly.

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