When I say that "My life is a series of Happy Accidents"... by no means am I saying that there have not been extreme difficulty and heartache along the way... and I'm sure you have expereinced similar dark times... but no matter what you may be experiencing... you have the power to break through the darkness... and find happiness and success of your own. And I can show you how to get there.

When I say that "My life is a series of Happy Accidents"... by no means am I saying that there have not been extreme difficulty and heartache along the way.

I was born into poverty in rural West Virginia, I lived through an abusive relationship with a step-parent, I was the product of a divorced household, I suffered severe knee injuries that knocked me out of my dream to play college basketball, I lost my mother at the age of 19 in a tragic car accident (and I was driving), I joined the Air Force during the Gulf War and was honorably discharged with life altering disabilities... I can literally go on and on about the difficulties life has thrown in my path.

But with each difficulty I faced, I had a choice... either fall into a deep and dark depression... or look for a possible reason this event could have happened to me. I have always been able to convince myself that there was a positive lesson I was supposed to learn from this chapter in life... and on the other side of the fire... my sword would be sharper than ever.

So with all of the difficulties and "accidents" along the way... happiness and success has gotten greater each year... and that... was no accident and you can change the outlook on your circumstances too. Here are ___ tips that have helped me in life... and they may just help you too.

1. Your Feelings Are Valid - No matter what circumstance you are facing... a death, an injury, abuse, financial hardship, etc... understand that it's ok to feel down. The first step in the process I have used is to validate your own feelings. It doesn's get you out of the darkness by feeling bad about feeling bad. Simply give yourself the freedom to say "I feel bad about this". And, in my experience, it's always good to find someone to talk to. It can be a trusted family member or friend... or if you can find it and afford it... seek the advice of a certified counselor. Sometimes local churches have counselors for free.

2. There is Strength on the Other Side of Difficulty and Heartache - Once you have validated and are dealing with the feelings about the situation, I always take time to reflect on the question "How can this situation make me stronger"? For me personally... living in poverty gave me strength to work harder than my peers, being a child of a divorced family gave the opportunity to have twice as many friends, being in an abusive parent child relationship gave me the strength to stand up for those who cant stand for themselves, losing my mother the way at did gave me a new outlook on the fact that we can never count on tomorrow being here so we must live each day like its our last. This step can take a while so give yourself the grace you need to have the patience to find how your situation can give you added strength and wisdom.

3. Keep a Private Journal - This step is optional, but it has helped me tremendously over the years. It's always good, when the next bad thing happens, and believe more, more things will happen... to go back and read how you have gotten through extreme situations in the past. It's a private reminder to yourself that no matter what life brings you... you are strong enough to get through it.