What can I do to enhance my marriage
or relationship?

There are many types of love story scripts. For Dr. Zhivago love was a passionate poetic adventure. In The African Queen, Captain Allnut (Bogey) and Miss Sayer (Hepburn) found that fighting adversity together brought admiration, respect, and even love. "I never dreamed any mere physical experience could be so stimulating!" says Ms Sayer. Romeo and Juliet saw love as a compelling force as did Tony and Maria in the remake, West Side Story in which they sing,

"When love comes so strong, there is no right or wrong."

Love stories can emphasize pure sensuality as in Tristan and Isolde, being drawn to character as in Frank Capra movies, or destiny as in Aida. Gilbert and Sullivan suggest love is folie B deux. Many Western and hero movies have the man as hero and protector. In Fiddler on the Roof, Goldie and Tevye find love comes from sharing experiences and following traditions over the years.

O'Henry's Gift of the Magi suggests love is mutual self-sacrifice. You'll recall the poor wife sold her hair to buy her husband a watch chain for Christmas and he sold his watch to buy her combs. Perhaps the sappiest script for love came from Love Story and its "love means never having to say you're sorry."

So what story results in the best marriages? Psychologist Robert Sternberg's research found that all kinds of stories can bring happy, fulfilling relationships. Couples are more likely to be happy and fulfilled, however, when they subscribe to the same story.

American couples in the nineteenth century usually had a story with traditional roles and lifelong fidelity. In the 1960s, the women's liberation movement effected a lot of divorces when many wives' scripts for marriage changed and their husbands wanted to keep the traditional scripts.

Today we have even more varied stories.

You can determine your love story script by considering your favorite love stories and movies or simply thinking about what your relationship or marriage would be like if it were exactly as you would like it to be. How does that compare with your partner's story? If it is different, can you develop a mutually fulfilling story?

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Anti-aging Psychologist Dr. Michael Brickey is President of the Ageless Lifestyles Institute and author of Defy Aging. His new book, 52 baby steps to Grow Young, gives two-page-a-week practical steps for developing a youthful mindset at every age. Further information is at www.DrBrickey.com and www.Anti-Aging-Speaker.com.