If you are above the age of 40 and you've been married for a long time.
You could use a little bit of advice about marriage to help you get through the so-called "mid-life crisis".
By the time you reach your forties, you almost certainly get habituated to certain routines that could cause your marital relationship to go stale and sour.
But by adopting a few simple precepts, such as the ones below, you can not only salvage your marriage but also rekindle the old spark.

1. Take account of whether your marriage is, for all intents and purposes, still a marriage, or is it just a farce? Does the reason that brought you and your spouse together into this marriage still hold valid? People marry for all sorts of reasons.
   But circumstances in life are always changing.
   People change as well.
   Perhaps you might experience a rude awakening someday, when you realize that the reasons why you had gotten married no longer apply.
   For example, if you and your wife shared certain hobbies, interests, passions, political persuasions, or careers, and now your lives are defined by the polar opposites of what had originally brought you together, you might feel that the marriage no longer has any value or meaning as it once did.
   This is one reason why you see many relationships breaking up.
   
2. Ascertain what are your spouse's hopes, goals, and dreams, and work hard to help your spouse achieve them.
   Many over-40 couples tend to settle into a routine of self-absorption, neglecting the needs of their spouses.
   This is, without a doubt, not healthy for a marriage.
   Be proactive in figuring out ways how you can make your spouse happy.
   It won't be long before you come to the realization that making your spouse happy also makes you happy as well.
   
3. If you are looking to derive satisfaction out of your life, seek it from your marriage, not from outside.
   This applies not only to the question of infidelity in marriage in order to fulfill your sexual needs, but the need to connect with people, confide in people, and socialize with people.
   If you need to talk to someone about something, confide in your wife.
   If you wish to socialize, include your wife in your social activities.
   
4. Communication is one of the keys to a successful marriage.
   Having open and honest discussions with your spouse will save your marriage.
   Keeping quiet will not.
   Make it a point to have frank discussions with your spouse as often as possible, even for small issues.
   If you can handle small issues with your wife, then when bigger issues arise, you will already be accustomed to holding constructive dialogue with your spouse.
   This will serve to strengthen your marriage.
   
5. If you and your spouse identify things in your marriage that are missing or which need to change, make a plan, together with your spouse, on how to address these concerns.
   By having a plan that both of you can agree to commit to together, you will be able to see measurable improvement in the quality of your marital relationship.
   Without a plan, it is easy to succumb to random happenstance, letting this, that, or the other problem sway you, and uproot your marriage from its foundation, causing one or both partners to lose their faith in the viability of the marriage bond.
   

Married and over the age of 40? Make a conscious effort to adopt the above tips, and you will see a marked improvement in the quality of your marriage for many years to come.