Four Secrets to a Forever Marriage - Michael Letney and Karen Hardin

Good Marriages don’t just happen, writes Michael Letney in his book Four Secrets to a Forever Marriage. What is the secret to a happy and healthy marriage? Marriage, argues Letney, like the tiers of a wedding cake requires a solid foundation to support the layers on which the couple can stand firm through the sunniest and stormiest times of life. There are essentially four components to a forever marriage as enunciated by Letney. They are transparency, truth, trust, and unity. These are essential to a relationship to not only persevere through the most difficult challenges but also grow deeper in love, commitment, companionship, and marital unity. Achieving anything worthwhile requires relentless work and dedication. Results don’t magically emerge out of thin air. They must be harnessed through the thick and thin of daily life. Letney states that transparency allows relationships to mature faster, as openness can avoid misunderstandings that can fuel unnecessary tension. This assumes that both parties are mature and empathetic. If one partner is self righteous and not empathetic then this will thwart the other person from being vulnerable and hence, the very foundation cannot be laid. The same can be said of truth, trust, and unity. Letney provides great advice on how to achieve this.