Listen closely and you will become captain of your ship, master of your destiny. Turn a deaf ear to that quiet inner voice of your soul, and you may wind up shipwrecked instead.

The first rule of overcoming any kind of adversity or fear that comes upon you is acceptance. Acceptance does not mean liking what has happened or entering into some kind of Pollyanna-like pretense that all is well.

Don't let anyone judge you for your past, least of all yourself. You may have made choices, even right up to today, that have led to needless suffering. All that is in the past if you choose to respond differently today.

Blaming others for being upset seems about as normal as the sun coming up in the morning. However, if you are willing to look, and to look deeply, you just might find that upset carries with it a blessing, a signpost pointing toward your next life lessons of self-improvement.