Sometimes it is the "little things" that are most effective in building a happy and long lasting relationship.

Mary says to her partner Bob: "Last night I had a terribly disturbing dream." Bob, turning to toward Mary, compassionately asks her what her dream was about. For a moment, their eyes connect, and Mary goes on to describe her dream.

Your partner is loyal, loving and you both enjoy each other's company. This is proof positive you have a healthy relationship. Though not all moments of the day are filled with romance and song, you look forward to moments that will be. Together you work with your partner to build your family. For many couples this includes giving birth to children and raising them together.

You already understand how destructive anger is to your relationship. You know that anger and love are incompatible. And when both are present in the same moment, "anger," which is the stronger of the two, will prevail.

Gasoline and fire cannot exist in harmoniously. So too, anger and love. Together they are a volatile mixture; with anger always winning out in the end.

We've all battled that negative little voice in our head that insists on putting us down. Sometimes it says we aren't smart enough, other times it likes to ridicule our appearance. Whatever the topic, that little voice can never seem to find anything worth praising. It's always belittling our self esteem and making us feel like we're two feet tall. If you're constantly battling with negative thoughts and personal put-downs, now's the time to start fighting back. The following are three things you can do to improve your life and silence that critical voice for good!

Why do bad things happen to good people? We've all asked ourselves this question at one point or another. I'm a kind, caring person, so why is my husband always angry with me? I always put my wife's needs before mine, why is it that she never returns the favour? I'm a fair and honest parent, why is my teenager always so rude and inconsiderate?

Who runs the show in your family home? The parents or the kids? As a parent, it can be difficult to know when and how to discipline your child. Should you yell, or should you try and discuss things in a rational manner? Is punishment necessary, or is a stern warning sufficient? What's a parent to do when there's no simple solution to a problem? Let's consider the following example:

As a parent, we do everything we can to provide for our children spiritually, emotionally, financially, and socially. We do whatever we can to make their journey from childhood, through adolescence, and into adulthood, as smooth as possible. We teach our children values, rules, and respect. And while we do everything in our power to keep our children on the straight and narrow, we are not always successful. Some children veer away from the teachings of their parents during their teenage years, acting out in ways that is difficult for a parent to understand. Watching your child start down a path of self-destruction can be heart-wrenching for a parent to observe, and rightfully so. Luckily, there are some things a parent can do in order to minimize a teen's rebellious nature.

Happy marriages depend on three simply ingredients:

Many individuals find it difficult to be in a marital relationship. Instead of experiencing companionship, joy, trust and safety, they are overcome by anger, insecurity, and loneliness. The question is why? In most cases, it is because the relationship is lacking in one of three main dynamics: respect, emotional health, and realistic expectations. When these three essential dynamics are functioning well, the relationship will flourish. If something is missing, the relationship will suffer.