A new study reveals the secret to success: having the right spouse. Learn more about this study and how to become a supportive mate. Read on!

 You probably have heard this before:

“Behind every successful man is a good woman.”

It turns out, there’s more truth in this statement than what we believe before. Of course, this could also be true the other way around. There are also good men behind every successful woman.

A new study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University shows that people who have a supportive spouse would most likely succeed in life.

Here’s a quick look at the conclusions of this study:

• If you have a supportive wife or husband, you would most likely accept challenges for your “personal growth, happiness, psychological well-being, and better relationship.”
• Who you marry affects the critical decisions you make in life.
• A supportive spouse can encourage you to take on greater challenges and new opportunities.
• A supportive spouse helps his/her partner by being enthusiastic about a new opportunity, reassuring him/her about his/her support, and talking about the benefits of taking on the challenge.

With that said, you might as well think long and hard before choosing whom to marry.

Do you like what you read? If yes, subscribe below to read more inspiring and insightful self-development blog.

Choosing the right spouse

Jim Rohn once said:

“You’re the average of five people you spend the most time with.”

No doubt: among these five people, it is your spouse who occupies the most time with you.

The evidence for this study is evident when you look around you.

Think about Bill and Melinda Gates, Mark and Pricilla Zuckerberg, and others. Just take a look at your friends, neighbors, and loved ones.

Chances are, you can identify people who become successful because of their supportive spouse.

So, what does this teach us?

If you are not married yet, make sure you look for a supportive spouse. You don’t want to have someone by your side who doubts every decision you make.

Look at how your potential mate treats others.

Observe how he/she looks at life.

Determine how he/she handles challenges.

After that, imagine yourself spending the rest of your life with him/her.

From there, you can get a general idea whether your future mate would be supportive to you or not.

Choosing a mate shouldn’t only be based on emotions, but also on logic.

Become the right spouse for your mate

If you are already married, be the supportive spouse that you should be. Of course, I’m not saying that you blindly support your spouse.

Discuss things among yourself and if you see it could be a good opportunity, then, by all means, support your husband or wife. Don’t underestimate the role you play in your partner’s success!

Remember the great influence that your mate has to you. If your mate is an achiever, hardworking, and driven, then you will most likely become more like him/her.

However, if your mate is lazy, pessimistic, unreliable, you might as well become like him/her.

Both the good and bad habits of your spouse could rub off to you.

The question now is; what habits do your spouse possess more? Is it the good ones or the bad ones?

While you look at your spouse’s tendencies, don’t forget to examine yourself too.

Change yourself for the better. Help your spouse to reach greater heights of success.

I guess if you really love your spouse, you would also take the necessary steps to become a better mate.

More than just success in life

It is worth noting though that having the right spouse does not only make you more successful, but it can actually make you happier!

Being happier would lead to more success in life and that cycle goes on and on.

If you have a wife or husband who appreciates your achievements, that’s a great bonus and an awesome source of motivation in life. For those who have kids, they become more hardworking. This is because they have more reasons to do their best in life.

As they say, success feels better if you have anyone to share it with.

To help your spouse to be more successful, here are some of the things you can do:

• Boost the confidence of your spouse
• Fuel ambition and drive
• Give unshakable support
• Share household chores
• Discuss life’s perspective
• Allow taking of calculated risks
• Be enthusiastic in grabbing new opportunities

Again, if you want to be successful, choose your spouse carefully. If you are already married, be the supportive spouse that you should be!

Recommended book…