Have you ever wondered, how married couples, who truly love each other, stay together and seem to love each other even more? or How they do it and whats their secret? I guess if it could all be answered in just a couple of sentences, everybody would be doing it, this article would end here, and we'd be done and dusted, package delivered, I'm out - peace.

Unfortunately for me, we're only just starting.

Your marriage began the second you said "I DO", to the person, you loved to bits and you knew would always be there for you for the rest of your life. But how do couples keep the love alive in a marriage and the passion burning HOT? Firstly it is highly important that before you both tie the knot in marriage, that you both, personally know what you have in common and what you don't, what weaknesses you possess and what strengths you have. Before the marriage has actually started, it makes good sense to know how to recognize problems that may arise and how to handle them. The sacred marriage vows, couples promise to each other should be remembered and honored for all time.

Although couples enter into a marriage looking forward to a wonderful and prosperous future, they will undertake problems, conflicts and struggles. Struggles that will test the couples relationship, even to the point of breaking. Marriages can be ripped apart from the struggles it will experience or as the old saying goes, anything that doesn't kill (the relationship) will only make it stronger, both the relationship and the married couple. Couples will need to rely on each other to deal with all problems and disagreements encountered along the way.

Now-days though, when married couples are confronted with conflicts, they tend to bail out of the marriage immediately, rather than work things out. To side step this reality, and help rescue and protect your marriage before its too late, heres some pointers and advice that you might need to know.

During any conflict, dilemma, struggle or argument - consultation and communication is paramount. Listen to what your spouse is saying to you. Listen, listen, listen and no matter what else you do, don't cut them off while they are speaking, don't try to solve the problem, before you have heard all of the facts and don't be negative and cause any more arguments, as this will hinder your progress. Listen to your partner with an open and understanding mind and a loving heart. Sometimes your partner may need your understanding that, you don't have to solve all their problems all of the time, and that they may just need you to hear them out, be supportive or tell them that your are sorry for what ever issue it is they are going through or that your are sorry, they are struggling to find the words, they need to express and explain their situation or that your are sorry, they are having great difficulty trying to draw on the courage, they need to deal with, what ever it is they are experiencing at this difficult time. We all need to be loved and supported by our partners. We need our partners to be our sounding board, and vent to them any thoughts, frustrations or problems, we may have bottled up or get off our chest any issues or dislikes that are stressing us out. With this said, we also need our beloved partners to give them a big hug and tell us that everything will be alright.

Be strong and remain positive. When the marriage is fresh and new and the couples have a strong attraction to one another, they pay attention to the cute little things each other does but over time, without warning, the couple starts to notice little things that stand out, that they don't like or becomes a nuisance, annoying and a inconvenience to say the least. To avoid the drama of a huge marriage break up, couples need to remember when they first fell in love with each other, or the cute little things each other did when their marriage was new, what ever you do, don't complain. Complaining to your partner or directly at them, all of the time is like being continually kicked in the guts, not a good look, not good at all. Too much nagging and complaining can cause them to switch off from listening - making them really angry, frustrated and hurt. The best approach you could take is the higher ground, by communicating your selected choices of complaints to your partner, delivered in a positive, constructive manner, so they don't feel intimidated, offended or embarrassed. At all times remain cool, calm and collected and don't forget to give merit, when merit is due to your partner for their mature attitude towards issues you've raised, the positive wise qualities they contribute to the relationship and the understanding only the person whom you love and adore would possess.

Spend alot of quality time together and both of you will appreciate each others company and become more closer in the process. Don't just limit yourselves to talk about your problems while your spending time on outings, or on dates - your together time to talk about those issues should happen all the time. Its important to talk about positive things as well, mixing the negative issues with the positive ones, is a good thing, nobody wants to hear the negatives all the time - too depressing. So communicate your fears and concerns to your partner, just remember to mix the positives with the negatives, throughout your discussions and conversations and you'll be fine. What ever you do, don't get caught up on talking to your partner about the petty little problems, you encounter at work, you have with family or friends. Thats a negative trap for married couples, you'd never want to get stuck in that predicament, it could take years to get out of and change.

Remember that sex was a huge part of when you first met and it made the relationship exciting, riveting and exhilarating. Don't forget to be intimate and affectionate. Make time to show your true affections for each other and remember that having a happy relationship, doesn't just revolve around having tons of sex.

We only live once, so live in the moments that take your breath away with the ones we love, treasure those memories forever.

Treasured memories, where you spend time together at home, snuggled together on the couch or sleeping in together on the weekends or holding hands while your walking down the street or in a mall or taking baths or showers together or a gentle kiss on the neck or massaging the tense muscles of your loved one or a light peak on the cheek. Its about connecting with one another, emotionally, touching each other in a non sexual way. Through physical contact in a non sexual way, you exhibit the true connection and love, you have for each other.

To help save your marriage before it ever starts to break, your marriage relationship will require a few things to ensure its success. Compassion, acceptance, patience, understanding, empathy, communication and love.

Good Luck.