4 ways to show true love to your spouse

Remember, love is an act of the will, not a warm feeling or a clever expression of experience. True love requires you to deny yourself and seek to meet your beloved's needs.

In the excitement of a new romance, it seems easy and natural to communicate your love for the other person. After marriage, however, many couples settle into a routine in which one or both partners feel as though they are taken for granted. Don't let another day go by without reinforcing your love for your spouse.

Follow these steps to show your partner how much you really love them. Find out your partner's preferred "Love Language." Do they know you love them when you speak words of love? Or maybe they feel loved by your acts of service? Some people feel loved by receiving little gifts and others by loving touches. Real love is not based on your preference but your partner's.

Speak your love: Clear communication will let your partner know how much you love them. Speaking from your experience is a way of sharing yourself so that your partner can hear it. You might say, "My heart expands when you walk into the room" or "I think about you throughout my day, and each time I do, I smile." Say whatever is true. Remember that actions often speak louder than words; don't just say something, do something.

Action: Show your love through your actions, such as drawing a bath, giving a massage, doing the dishes, or writing a poem. Choose an action that you know your partner will appreciate. Remember, denying yourself never means doing things begrudgingly. If you communicate the desire not to do something loving, you may as well not be doing it.

Spend time together: Spend time being present with your partner. (This is often the least used, but the most powerful form of loving.) Turn off the phone, the TV, computer, and the radio and sit together allowing yourselves to experience each other. Being present with your husband or wife obviously provides the opportunity to serve him or her, so be available to love your spouse.

Speak the truth: Telling your partner the truth is a loving thing to do because it shows trust and respect. The truth doesn't have to be positive to be meaningful. It just needs to be true. Show your spouse unconditional love, but not unconditional acceptance. Don't be caught up into the cultural notion that to love is to never seek to help someone better himself or herself. Use gracious words to point out your spouse's weaknesses and offer constructive suggestions on how to improve these things. Always be willing to accept correction from your spouse too.

You can make mistakes in loving-which is why forgiveness is such a vital part of your loving actions toward your spouse. If you are forgiving, you are more likely to be forgiven. Take your partner out to different places such as out for dinners, movies, or vacation.

Remember, service and love is inherently connected. Whatever you know your partner need, that is what you should be doing to love him or her. The moment you start insisting on your way or doing what you want, you stop showing love to your spouse. A marriage takes work. Listen to your spouse, don't interrupt or invalidate what they are saying. Listening means truly absorbing what your spouse is saying - if you are mentally planning what you are going to say next then you are not listening.

If you want to have a healthy relationship, discover more ways to express your love. Use warmth, kindness, compassion, humor, presence, truthfulness, sharing, and sexiness. Open up your senses for fun and your communication strategies for success by using principles of reciprocity, compassion, and equanimity. Always be courteous, fair, and truthful, and the interaction with your partner will flourish. To have staying power and build a healthy relationship, stay present to your connection to your loved one. Be creative and discover love together.