When something is out of our grasp and is perceived too enormous to bear individually, we fall into the belief system that we are the victims of some grand cosmic scheme.

One significant purpose for writing our legacies is to extract the lessons we've learned from our experience, from our "stories," to pass them forward to future generations.

We need a society that offers opportunities to care for ourselves and our families. However, those who live only for money and power are usually miserable in all aspects of their lives and bring deep unhappiness to all those who rely on them.

Growing up, I wanted to be the greatest at whatever I did, the guy who'd rise above the troubles of my family. I wanted to become the Muhammad Ali, even the Whitney Houston, in my corner of the world.

The constructs upon which I co-built my family are different now. We have been through upheaval in more ways than one. We have learned that upheaval is the natural course of life. It doesn't have to be "bad" or scary or resisted.

You will lose your job. You will have your heart broken. The person you admired will disappoint you. You will make mistakes that you'll regret. You will fall. And you will get up. Life's curveballs are inevitable, therefore position yourself so that the "getting up" part is not so crippling.