Magazine covers, news headlines and social media are full of celebrity "news" and gossip. It's difficult to avoid at least hearing bits and pieces from the lives of those we watch in televisions shows and movies, or that we listen to on the radio.

While we may be excited to hear that our favorite Hollywood stars get hitched or start a family, it can be disappointing to learn that these couples break up often soon after they get married. We may even begin to think that that is the norm that marriages are doomed to fail.

But though Hollywood may give up due to irreconcilable differences, or give in to temptations of infidelity, that does not mean you should quit so easily. Stop watching those trapped in the public eye for an example of marriage to aspire to. (Though, it is pretty unfair to have to live a life within the camera lens of the paparazzi, right?)

It seems that society would like us to think that everyone is better off cohabiting, frequently changing intimate partners and that marriage isn't important. According to a Family Studies article, "Though people especially those trying to avoid buying an engagement ring like to cite the statistic that half of marriages end in divorce, that hasnt actually been true for decades, if ever. If current trends continue, only about a third of marriages will end in divorce."

What that really means is that two-thirds of the people who get married, stay married!

What can you do to avoid becoming a divorce statistic?

• Look for good examples of marriage and ask them how they make it work.
• Don't lose hope when you see a seemingly strong marriage fail.
• Work together with your spouse to maintain a healthy and happy marriage relationship.
• Avoid infidelity including pornography, emotional relationships or any other relationship that can appear questionable to your spouse.
• Make your spouse's happiness your number one priority. Selfishness has no place within a marriage.
• Put your marriage first above your job, the kids, friends or other obligations or recreation-seeking.
• Do not bad mouth your spouse to others. This will only worsen any problem you may be having.
• Talk positively to and about your spouse.
• Have regular date nights with your spouse.
• Support each other's goals.
• Rely on each other for strength.
• Be your spouse's best friend.
• Love, forgiveness and communication are huge!
• Don't give up on your marriage easily. Just because you disagree or hit a rough patch does not mean your marriage is failing.

Though it may seem like more marriages are failing than are succeeding, this is not true. The world needs more examples of strong and healthy marriages. The world needs to see what happily married couples look like. Marriages last when couples don't give up on each other. So, ignore the gossip columns and negative marriage headlines, and strive to have the marriage you've always dreamed of.