I admire people who knew from a young age exactly what they wanted to do and be when they grew up, and who traveled a clear, straight path to get there. My life was nothing like that – which is probably why I’m so drawn to people who are stumbling and searching, or lost and confused. Or who feel trapped, stuck, or paralyzed because there are too many paths and choices in front of them, and they don’t know how to find the right one.

My own path included having breast cancer at age 34, and severe heart damage from chemotherapy less than a year later. These aren’t paths I would have chosen for myself, but they led me to the power of gratitude, determination, and a positive, optimistic attitude.

My curiosity and love of writing drew me toward different types of writing and editing jobs, and eventually to the newspaper column I wrote for 16 years, where I shared with my readers every week the nuggets of wisdom and inspiration I found in everyday life. (You can find my columns archived on my blog.)

A desire to do a better job of expressing my thoughts verbally led me to the surprising discovery that people were inspired by what I had to say, and were encouraged and motivated to make positive and powerful changes in their lives because of it.

This has led me to places as far away as Uganda, where I speak to students, teachers, church groups, and others about discovering their gifts and pursuing their dreams.