Getting married was one of the most important decisions you have ever made and creating a lasting marriage might be the most difficult job you will do in your life. Is your marriage in crisis right now? Would you like to save it? Here is what you can do immediately to begin to repair the damage now before it's too late.

• No matter how your spouse feels about staying married it is absolutely critical that you stay committed to the marriage. Do not give up! More marriages than you can imagine have been saved even when only one spouse was initially interested in saving the marriage. More on this later.
• If your spouse hasn't asked for a separation or a divorce yet, be prepared to react rationally and calmly if it does happen. Acknowledge their pain and their desire to do something about it. This is not the same as agreeing to the divorce. If your spouse has already mentioned divorce, do not beg and plead with them to change their mind. How you react from here on out will make or break the situation, regardless of whether divorce has been mentioned yet or not. Be calm, be strong, be rational and try to keep your emotions in check.
• Make a commitment to yourself that you will stay positive and firm in your conviction that you are willing to give 100% to your marriage, even if your spouse is giving nothing to it. If you are truly committed and take the lead, you can literally set the wheels in motion for a new beginning.
• Give your spouse whatever space he or she needs to figure things out. Smothering your partner right now will only serve to push him or her further away. This is exactly the opposite of what you want, so back off right now.
• Use this time to become the best person you can be, mentally, physically and spiritually. Commit to proper diet, healthful exercise, and prayer or meditation to relieve stress and feed your mind and spirit. Pursue things you love doing and feel passionate about. Enjoy this freedom.

Follow the above steps and you will put yourself in the most resourceful physical emotional and mental state to handle the difficult days ahead. You will also succeed in maintaining power in the relationship because your spouse was probably not expecting this positive reaction from you. This position you have put yourself in will make you considerably more attractive than the person your spouse wanted to leave. This is a very important beginning to save a marriage in crisis.