“Deep down inside, I knew I shouldn’t marry him, but he was so insistent I gave in.”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard statements like that from divorced women. This entry is not to belittle those women—they’re suffering enough as it is. Divorce sucks, and is painful for all parties involved. But I would like to give a heads up to young women who haven’t married, in hopes they won’t make the same mistake.

Marriage is not something you should enter into lightly, with thoughts of well…this probably isn’t going to work out mulling over in your brain as you walk down the aisle.

Before marriage is the time to give long consideration to the person you’re dating. If you’re gut instincts are telling you something is off, it’s time to shore up that courage inside you and walk away. I don’t care how long you’ve been together. I don’t care if everyone around you thinks they are the most amazing person ever. Trust your instincts.

Being married is awesome—I love it—but it’s also hard. It takes a huge amount of patience and effort between both husband and wife to make it work. And if you walk into a marriage with doubts already there in your mind about your spouse, how will you ever find the willingness to work through the struggles that arise?