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Relationships are like good recipes, you have to have all the "basics" and then what you sprinkle in as extras are the things that set your relationship apart from others. In order to have a successful marriage, you must first have a successful dating relationship, and the following five rules are sure to make your "recipe for a successful marriage" both spectacular and unique!

RULE 1-Be Honest From the Beginning
Many people try to sugar coat themselves when they first meet a person they would like to date; perhaps they embellish when it comes to their financial situation, or maybe they tailor their likes and their dislikes to those of the person that they want to be with. Sadly, there always comes a time when people have to revert back to who they really are, and nine times out of ten, their partner is shocked. It's simple...be who you are inside and out from the very beginning and you will find a person who loves who you truly are.

RULE 2-Be Patient
There is nothing worse than getting into a dating relationship and then rushing into a marriage simply because you are afraid of losing a someone, or because that is what you are pressured to do by friends, family or even your partner. Marriage should be a wonderful and natural set, taken in love and harmony, not under duress.

RULE 3-Avoid Complacency
When two people start off in a dating relationship, both are in a heightened sense of awareness when it comes to the wants and needs of their partner...unfortunately, as time goes on, many couples find that they have become complacent and thus the spark has gone out of their marriage. It is important to strive to be as attuned to your partners needs in marriage as you were when you first started dating.

RULE 4-Maintain the Intimacy
It happens to the best of us...we meet someone great, get married, and then life steps in with all of its monotonous necessities, like work and household chores, and eventually the kids arrive, wonderful, but time consuming. When this happens, the first thing to go is usually the intimacy in a relationship. It is so important to make time for your partner, to make time for that connection that brought you together in the first place. Do yourself a favor and make time for intimacy.

RULE 5-Be Your Partners Best Friend
This is probably the most important part of any relationship. A friend's marriage comes to mind...one that was based more upon sex and passionate connection than on friendship and love...that marriage lasted less than a year. When it was finally over, I asked him why he thought things went downhill so quickly, and he said that it was because he was never truly "best friends" with his wife. You must be that person who is ready and willing to listen to even the most boring story about your partners day, you must be the person who can't wait to ask your partners opinion about the latest entertainment craze, and you must be the person who can't think of anyone else you would rather be stranded on a desert island with except for your partner.

In the end, there is nothing more wonderful than finding that right "recipe for success" when it comes to your marriage, but remember that in order for a recipe to turn out great, you must have the right ingredients to begin with.

Learn more about this author, Sarah Williams.
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