Michelle Obama’s Most Surprising Tips for a Successful Marriage 》

As First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama was always focused on helping others to learn and grow. These days, she and Barack Obama no longer live in the White House and serve as national leaders. But that doesn’t mean that Michelle is done teaching us important life lessons!

That was clear last month when she wrote a lengthy Instagram caption for a photo capturing four adorable poses of her and her husband. And the caption breaks down some of her biggest and best tips for having a marriage as happy and successful as her own.

So, what are Michelle Obama’s top tips for a successful marriage? Keep reading to learn the answers!

The 50/50 myth

One of the first things that Michelle Obama wrote about is a very persistent marriage myth. And that myth is that everything should always be split 50/50. It sounds good on paper, of course, and many think they can create a perfectly equal relationship by perfectly dividing everything from household chores to physical and emotional needs.

According to Michelle Obama, though, the 50/50 thing has always been a myth, at least within the confines of her own marriage. “One of us is always needing more or giving more,” she wrote. “We have to be willing to listen to each other, honestly and without defensiveness.”

In other words, we can’t look at relationships as static things that are defined by contracts and agreements. Instead, we must roll with the changes that occur in our relationships over time.

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Marriage as an evolution

Rolling with the changes may sound easy, but change is often the enemy in a relationship. After all, how many relationships end every day because one person accuses the other of having changed?

However, Michelle Obama points out that change should never be the enemy in a relationship. Instead, it’s a core element of a successful partnership. Once we listen to each other’s needs as she described before, we can “evolve together.”

This is a very healthy way of viewing any kind of long-term relationship. Change is inevitable, and nothing stays the same. But when partners are committed to supporting each other, they can help both themselves and the relationship evolve and grow.