In a way, I felt like I had failed you. How could I hop on my blog and encourage others to live their best lives in spite of pain while I was shattered and unwilling to glue my pieces back together?

Wherever you are in your life, a simple shift in mindset is all it takes to begin appreciating every little bit this life has to offer again. And, if you’re feeling a little lost today like I was, I hope you remember that this morning you woke up. You took deep breaths and smelled a pot of coffee and picked up your phone or tablet or laptop to come here and read this. You’re doing better than you think, I promise.

I tried to write this blog post t h r e e times and failed. Not because I didn’t know what to say or how to say it but because I couldn’t bring myself to relive this season of my life.

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Jimmy Garoppolo, a quarterback for the Patriots, at Gillette Stadium, and I realized that he personified the qualities that go into this idea of success.

I had been hospitalized for another illness, but this time, it took a huge emotional toll on me. Over the past couple of years, my health had taken a steep decline as my disease progressed rapidly.