BG.T01-PRR — Pre-Reading Reflection: My Mental Readiness for Marriage

Purpose

This reflection tool helps you examine your current beliefs, attitudes and practices before beginning Mental Guidelines for Choosing and Becoming Marriage Material. It provides an opportunity to reflect on your current level of intellectual maturity, openness to growth, family and cultural influences, decision-making patterns and other factors that shape the way you think, learn, evaluate situations and prepare for marriage. The Guide emphasises that many relationship outcomes are influenced by patterns of thought, judgement, learning and personal development that have been cultivated over time.

There are no right or wrong answers. The purpose is to establish a starting point for your learning journey and help you identify areas that may require attention as you prepare for a healthy marriage relationship.

Part A: My Current Understanding of Mental Readiness

1. In your view, what does it mean to be mentally ready for marriage?

2. Why do you think mental readiness is important in a marriage relationship?

3. What mental qualities do you believe are most important in a prospective marriage partner?

4. What mental qualities do you believe are most important to develop in yourself?

Part B: Intellectual Maturity

5. What does intellectual maturity mean to you?

6. How important is intellectual maturity when choosing a marriage partner?

7. What signs would convince you that a person demonstrates intellectual maturity?

8. What signs would cause you to question a person's intellectual maturity?

9. How confident are you in your ability to make sound decisions when facing important life choices?

☐ Very Confident

☐ Confident

☐ Moderately Confident

☐ Slightly Confident

☐ Not Confident

Why?

Part C: Growth Mindset

10. What does having a growth mindset mean to you?

11. How willing are you to learn, change and improve when necessary?

☐ Very Willing

☐ Willing

☐ Somewhat Willing

☐ Reluctant

☐ Very Reluctant

Why?

12. How do you normally respond when someone points out a weakness, mistake or area for improvement?

13. What areas of your life are currently experiencing the greatest growth?

14. What areas of your life have remained largely unchanged for a long time?

Part D: Family and Cultural Influences

15. How strongly has your family background influenced your views about marriage?

☐ Very Strongly

☐ Strongly

☐ Moderately

☐ Slightly

☐ Not at All

Why?

16. What positive lessons about marriage have you learned from your family?

17. What negative patterns, if any, have you observed in your family that you would not want to repeat in your future marriage?

18. What cultural practices or beliefs do you think could influence your future marriage relationship?

19. How do you determine whether a family or cultural practice should be embraced, modified or rejected?

Part E: Thinking, Judgement and Decision-Making

20. How do you normally make important decisions?

21. When making important decisions, whose advice do you normally seek?

22. How easily do you change your position when presented with new information?

☐ Very Easily

☐ Easily

☐ Sometimes

☐ Rarely

☐ Never

Why?

23. Which is more difficult for you?

☐ Admitting I was wrong

☐ Receiving correction

☐ Changing my position

☐ Seeking advice

☐ Learning something new

Why?

Part F: My Current Position

24. Which of the following areas do you currently regard as your greatest strength?

☐ Intellectual Maturity

☐ Growth Mindset

☐ Sound Decision-Making

☐ Handling Family Influences

☐ Handling Cultural Influences

Why?

25. Which of the following areas currently requires the greatest attention?

☐ Intellectual Maturity

☐ Growth Mindset

☐ Sound Decision-Making

☐ Handling Family Influences

☐ Handling Cultural Influences

Why?

26. Which area would you most like this Guide to help you strengthen?

Before I Begin

27. Complete the statement below.

The strongest aspect of my mental readiness for marriage is ____________________________________________________________.

28. Complete the statement below.

The aspect of my mental readiness for marriage that requires the greatest attention is ____________________________________________________________.

29. Complete the statement below.

The most important lesson I hope to gain from this Guide is ____________________________________________________________.

30. Complete the statement below.

The thinking pattern I would most like to strengthen is ____________________________________________________________.

31. Complete the statement below.

The greatest mental obstacle to becoming marriage material is ____________________________________________________________.

32. Complete the statement below.

The clearest sign that a person is mentally ready for marriage is ____________________________________________________________.

33. Complete the statement below.

The most important contribution I hope this Guide will make to my life is ____________________________________________________________.

34. Complete the statement below.

As I begin this Guide, I commit myself to ____________________________________________________________.