You have to temper the iron. Every hardship is an opportunity that you are given, an opportunity to grow. To grow is the sole purpose of existence on this planet Earth. You will not grow if you sit in a beautiful flower garden, but you will grow if you are sick, if you are in pain, if you experience losses, and if you do not put your head in the sand, but take the pain as a gift to you with a very, very specific purpose.

When you learn your lessons, the pain goes away.

We bring a deeper commitment to our happiness when we fully understand, that our time left is limited and we really need to make it count.

Dying is nothing to fear. It can be the most wonderful experience of your life. It all depends on how you've lived.

We all have to go through the tumbler a few times before we can emerge as a crystal.

Dying is something we human beings do continuously, not just at the end of our physical lives on this earth.

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.