During the late 80s when heavy metal was in its hey-day and "big hair" was the norm, the high-powered rock band Survivor had a hit single entitled, "The Search Is Over" -- which roared up the pop charts. The ballad talked about a man who had been hoping for a dreamy relationship with the perfect girl. All of his dreaming and fantasizing took place while in a relationship with a real girl, who was obviously being taken for granted.

After a few high-pitched notes and a bit of soul searching, the long-haired rocker realized that his true love was right in front of him the entire time.

A similar story about life's lessons is portrayed in the soulful recording "Count Your Blessings", by long time husband and wife musical team, Ashford & Simpson. Many in entertainment will tell you that their relationship symbolizes longevity -- in and outside of the studio.

These two stories, characterized through song, can teach us a lot about life, love, and happiness. Our obsession with "greener grass" and those things we do not currently possess, can easily lead to wasted time and broken hearts.

Strangely enough, many folks tend to seek greener pastures only after entering a decent relationship. This happens for two distinct reasons:

1) Complacency, stagnation, and boredom.
2) An obsession with what else is out there.

Complacency
Problems can creep into a good relationship after a couple becomes bored with routine. They're very familiar with one another, and the day-to-day grind of work, bills, family, and school eventually causes them to become complacent.

In fact, the familiarity with routines is so commonplace in our society, we expect to follow them -- even before we meet someone to follow them with.

Women expect men to become lazy, and men expect women to become nags. These expectations often turn into reality, and when that happens -- boredom sets in. That boredom changes to dissatisfaction, and dissatisfaction eventually translates into trouble.

The process goes something like this:

- Meet someone
- Date for a while
- Make a commitment
- Get married
- Have kids
- Buy a house
- Shift into cruise mode until retirement (or until something exciting knocks on the door)

Sounds a bit boring when it's compressed into just a few lines, right?