There are over 100,000 different species of trees in the world today. With so many trees to choose from, I have taken the time to sit down, narrow my list and I have chosen my favorite tree. It is not a sturdy oak, it's not a great pine and it is not a majestic evergreen. My favorite tree is Grandmother Willow and she is extraordinary.

For those of you who have not seen the Disney movie "Pocahontas" (shame on you), Grandmother Willow is a weeping willow tree that serves as a mentor to Pocahontas.

She is kind, straightforward and always wise. One of Grandmother Willow's most infamous lines is when Pocahontas comes to her for guidance in the midst of chaos and confusion. Grandmother Willow simply tells Pocahontas, "Don't be frightened."

At this point you're thinking, "Really granny? That's all ya got for me?" But let's take a step back from this seemingly silly children's movie and truly consider this advice.

My fellow Disney lovers out there know that toward the end of the movie Pocahontas is contemplating her important upcoming life decisions on her casual weekly kayak trip (as we all do). However, this trip was no walk in the park. The wind is picking up, the stream is beginning to move faster and poor Pocahontas can barely see what's in front of her. She is being thrown back and forth by the relentless waves, hitting rocks, trees and countless other obstacles in the water and is doing her best just to hold on to her paddle.

You would be lying to yourself if you said you had never experienced this "Pocahontas Pothole" yourself. There have been countless times in your life when the wind picked itself up and you felt as if you would never do the same. Your friends and family began moving faster and faster downstream and you were still stuck behind the same meaningless piece of debris. There have been and still are days when the water in front of you looks murky, green and unsure instead of clean, blue and clear.

Don't be frightened.

Much like a river, your life will continue. It will push you into the next obstacle. It will rush you downstream to your closest adventure. It will take you places you never dreamed you would be. The river is many things, but it will never be steady. It is fast paced, filled with twists and turns, and continuous. The only thing you must do is have enough courage to pick up your paddle and go with the flow (no pun intended). The river moves too fast for you to be intimidated or scared by it.

After all, you never know what's just around the river bend!