How to keep the passion aflame!

The honeymoon is over. Maybe you’ve been together a few months, a few years, or even a lot of years.

At some point, though, the early flames of passion will begin to fade, and you’ll (hopefully) start looking for ways to re-ignite them, or ways to keep them from dimming in the first place:

1. Have Fun Together

Remember the fun times you had when you first started dating? You laughed, you played, and you spent time enjoying each other’s company. There’s no reason for the fun to stop just because you’ve been together for a while. Think about some of these options:

• Collect cartoons or jokes that your spouse will enjoy
• Play a game together, like checkers or backgammon
• Do something unexpected to surprise your spouse
• Do a puzzle together
• Make popcorn and watch a favorite movie

2. Be Romantic

What did you used to do when the two of you were romancing each other? Jump start the romance by going back to some of those previous activities that generated warm feelings. Maybe you used to:

• Eat dinner by candlelight
• Hide a love note in your spouse’s lunch
• Build a fire and relax in front of it
• Take walk in the moonlight

3. Go Back To Dating

One way to jump start your relationship is to “date” each other again. Add to the fun by calling to ask each other out, and the one doing the asking then plans the date. To make it more challenging, set a budget limit for the date. You’d be amazed at how much fun it is to be creative and plan a date for $30 or less.

Once you’re on the date, treat each other as you did when you were first getting acquainted. Men, open the car door for your lady. Women, put on a special dress and flirt with your gentleman.

4. Do The Little Things

The day to day grind of life can really wear you down, and at those times paying attention to the little things gets harder. It’s more important then ever, though, that you make the extra effort to do the little things that your spouse will really appreciate. You could:

• Make a point to give your spouse a hug and a kiss each morning before you leave and each evening when you get home
• Remember to say please and thank you
• Pick the chore your spouse dislikes the most, and do it for him or her without being asked
• Say “I love you” often, not just when you think it’s expected

5. Be Physical

We’re not just talking about sex. Being physical means touching her arm, holding his hand, offering a gentle caress or neck rub after a tough day.

And when the two of you do move towards having sex, don’t just turn out the lights and get on with it every time.

Seduce each other a bit, light some candles and take a bubble bath together. As pleasurable as sex is, doing the same thing the same way every time gets boring so spice things up a bit and you’ll be amazed at what will happen.

- Jake Markus