It's often not about a lack of willpower or laziness or failure to be motivated. What I see more is something heavier: that story that tells someone she is not worthy of health or fitness, that she will never be good enough.

My mother was a gift wrapped in sandpaper -- cutting and abrasive upon contact, but when carefully examined and thoughtfully experienced, she became my most powerful and inspiring teacher.

Adversity can be both awful and wonderful. Soldiers regale each other with tales of heroism and courage in the face of adversity. Adversity shapes us slowly but steadily just as water carves out canyons and wears down mountains.

Going with the flow is easy, especially when that current feels great. The challenge is learning how to drop into a positive flow when half-swept away in a riptide of epic misfortune. No, life, I'm not waving. I'm drowning.

Facing the challenges and fears of this past year has brought us closer. We see each day together as a gift. Our appreciation of the simple things of life is heightened, whether it's a moment shared watching our dogs play, or the enjoyment taken in a meal before the fireplace.

Think about everything you are missing out on because of what you are avoiding. How much richer could your life become if you didn't feel the need to hide from your fears? What would you be able to do? Supposing you were not fearful, think how great your life would be.

"I hope you read my short letter with an open heart and mind, even though you do not know me. I've heard about your situation and wanted to personally reach out to you, because I believe in you, and because I believe in the potential and possibilities of your life."

We are not passionate about things that are easy. We are not engaged wholly by the things we have all the answers to. We are driven by our passions in part because we haven't quite mastered them.

Feeling powerlessness is real. Being powerless is real. And acknowledging it can grow us. But let it lead you not to despair or destruction, but toward honoring yourself. Channel your powerlessness to bolster your strength, resources, authority, and capacity to act.

Please take a moment and reflect. What brings you a sense of wholeness and balance and joy? Where and how did you find it?

So, why are we so afraid of failure? What about the very concept of not turning out to be the winner terrifies us and stops us from even trying?

We can choose to think flexibly and adaptively, rather than rigidly and maladaptively, by redefining painful life blows as opportunities to evolve. Suffering is the "rock-tumbler" of life, within which the nuggets of our battered selves get polished into our highest and best selves.

Reaching any goal, manifesting any desire is a simple matter of deciding that you want it and starting to move in that direction. It's no more complicated than driving from say, Los Angeles to San Francisco.

We can't hold onto things that have happened, good or bad. Life happens and it continues to happen every second of every moment of every day, changing and evolving. We must evolve with it.

Through struggle, we give birth to new features of our character. In those features, we unlock the possibility of appreciating our commonality and of realizing our most profound potential.

Failing is the easy part -- it's how you handle failure that will either stop you or allow you to move forward in your life, your career and your relationships.

When life puts a bump in the road, you've got to grind the gears, sidestep the potholes as smoothly as possible, and keep going forward. If my friend was able to move away from the grip of her condition, then so can I.

As an artist pursues their creative endeavor, whether to make a career of it to sustain themselves or as a personal outlet, their pursuit must happen within the confines/parameters of the "real" world.

Whether you got a flat tire, felt rejected by a partner, got laid off from your job or are facing challenging health issues, this offers a sure path to greener pastures.

Horses don't assume that just because something happened in the past it's going to happen again. They know that they don't know what's next. And because of that, they're ready for anything. And we can be too.

As I was flying back from a week on the road complete with late flights, weather and mechanical delays, grumpy people, and various other bumps in the road, I found myself experiencing a profound state of gratitude.