The First Thing We Did When We Got Married
In this personal monologue, Shanli Liu (CPA, CTP) recounts the first concrete step he and his wife Laila took after marriage: enrolling in a divorce prevention course to proactively address the most common causes of marital breakdown. He outlines the primary divorce drivers—financial stress, child-rearing challenges, and tactical daily preferences—and explains how they deliberately tackled each area. Liu shares specific communication habits, such as giving each other space after a long workday, and describes a reframing technique he calls "rounding up," where ambiguous statements are interpreted in the most positive, loving way. The narrative emphasizes that by treating potential conflicts as isolated preferences rather than existential threats, couples can cultivate a healthier, more resilient partnership.
