Every husband needs to have an affair or else his marriage will fail.

Let me repeat that. Every husband needs to have an affair or else his marriage will fail. Before you slam your fist down in rage at this statement, let me explain.

It's 2016 - a time filled with distractions upon distractions. Money, sports, smartphones, social media, politics, Netflix, world events, fitness, success and yes, even Pokémon GO are all relentlessly competing for our attention.

Please don't misunderstand what I'm trying to say. These are all good things in and of themselves and none of them are inherently bad, but they are distractions nonetheless (sorry, Pikachu). And the reality is this: these things aren't just competing for our attention, they're winning the fight for it every day as we continue to let them consume our lives.

Men, it's not stretching the truth to say that you probably spend more time with one or more of the previously mentioned distractions than you do with your wife. And though this article is directed primarily toward men, this problem goes both ways and can be just as damaging to women.

So who then are we really married to? Our phones? Work? ESPN? Social media? Or are we committed to the woman who we vowed to love and make happy every day for the rest of our lives?

While most of us would choose the latter in a heartbeat, modern statistics say differently. Studies reveal that we are, in fact, married to those distractions that bring us instant joy, yet have no form of long-term happiness.

Lying to ourselves and acting like this isn't the reality we live in is not a solution. It might make us feel better but it doesn't change anything. The only way to fix this ever-growing problem is to have an affair-an affair with your wife.

Of all of the "things" in the world, your wife should matter most because she isn't just a thing; she's your everything-or at least she should be. She is a living, breathing human being who has needs, feelings, desires and aspirations just like you. The other inanimate objects we spend our time with have none of these qualities. They don't require any love and will still function without any care and attention. But your wife won't-at least not for very long.

View this love affair you're going to have with your wife as a time to reconnect and bring life back into your marriage. Show her that you want her to be your number one priority. Together, make plans for how you can spend more time with each other. Decide what you're both going to do to break free from the distractions that don't enrich your life.

Each day will be a battle and this newfound love affair isn't going to happen overnight. It will take self-control and discipline if you are truly going to cheat on the world with your wife, rather than letting the opposite occur.

Years from now you'll look back at your happy marriage and realize that this affair was one of the best decisions you ever made. It just might be the one thing that saves your marriage more than anything else you try to do.

Of course no one is perfect and you'll undoubtedly face times when you catch yourself trying to rekindle the flame with old distractions. These entrapping temptations won't just vanish because you stop paying attention to them. There will always be new, bigger, better, and flashier distractions that will try to seduce you and get in the way of loving your wife. Don't give in. You can do this.

Unity between a couple requires sacrifice. Sacrifice means giving up one thing for something else. After reading this article you'll hopefully be able to identify the answer to this one powerful question: What in your life are you going to give up so that you can be more faithful to you wife?

Remember that relationships aren't replaceable, especially the bond between you and your wife. Marriage is unlike anything else. You can't just buy a new one, renew your subscription or upgrade to a better version if it breaks.

Winston Churchill once said, "My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me."

In taking Churchill's words one step further, the more important question then becomes: Men, what are you now doing to persuade your wives to stay with you? Are you showing her the same kind of love as you did when you were first dating, or have we let the superficial things in our lives cause us to become complacent?

Forget, forego, and flush away anything that is draining you of your love and leaving little left over for your wife.

End your marriage to the world and focus on strengthening the connection you have with your wife. This is the only relationship that won't fade away with time and the one affair that every husband should have.

**Hidden message: Did you find it within the article? Once you see it, share this article with your friends and see if they can find it. (Hint: Look at the first letter at the beginning of each paragraph after the black and white picture of the married couple.)