I have been married a couple of times and I think the most important aspect of marriage outside of loving someone else unconditionally is loving yourself. A strong sense of self and what you will and will not accept and desire out of that relationship must be understood. You must also be determined to accept who you really and truly fall in love with. Taking time to find out is also crucial. You must also know who you are and what your limitations are unless you want to end up divorcing and splitting assets and breaking your family apart. I think that dating relationships and proper goal setting and finding out what the ultimate lifelong goal of your partner is can and will determine the fate of the relationship. A good sit down with a plan written and discussed that both parties are willing to commit to is a starting point. No one knows the future or the twist and turns of fate. Love and commitment are the staples for a good marriage. Consideration, kindness, thoughtfulness, truth, honesty and family values are also excellent ingredients for a delicious marriage. So when searching for a soul mate you must first position your self to be loved, you cannot come into a marriage as a compulsive liar and expect someone to tell you the truth.

Author's Bio: 

Doris
Single mom with intentions of finishing a couple of books and school. Raising ethically and morally responsible children. Love to socialize, write, exercise, speak publicly and create businesses.