It was a catastrophic moment that taught me one of the most powerful lessons in life. I learned unbelievably awful things can and do happen to everyone, even yourself. You watch other people go through them expecting yourself to never have to experience these difficulties. In truth, they are not such rare, isolated events. You are what you do and how you live. Each of us has a story that would break someone’s heart. Despite the grief and unfairness of it all, we keep going. There are chores to be done, money to be made, and a life still to be led.

Do not be afraid to reinvent yourself and try to do something you never imagined doing. Being afraid gets you nowhere in life. When you are at point of standstill, don’t just stand there. Life is meant to be lived not questioned. Everything happens for a reason. Whether you know the reason why not. Go with the flow and you’ll make it through. Life has funny way of working out itself out.

It's okay to feel sad. Just know you won’t feel like this for the rest of your life. Life likes to throw curve balls and some times will hit you harder than others and you will get knocked off your feet. But while you’re down there, try to see things from a different angle, then get up and try again and learn from how you fell the first time. Life gets better.

There will be a few times in your life when all your instincts will tell you to do something, something that defies logic, upsets your plans, and may seem completely absurd to others. When that happens, you do it. Listen to your instincts and ignore everything else. Ignore the logic, ignore the odds, ignore the complications, and just go for it. These are the moments when you find out who you truly are as a person.