Nobody can ever be fully prepared to deal with a new, painful situation. Sometimes I react with patience and sometimes I react by doing something impulsive. But I always learn from such experiences.

I try to keep myself grounded and to stay true to who I am through every experience, positive or negative.

Accepting new challenges makes me come alive.

It's important to have a fallback and other activities that keep you interested. I started acting when I was about nine or 10 years old. My father was a midtown firefighter so I always wanted to be a firefighter, but then acting came along. I have to have a plan B.

One truth I know for sure is that I am so blessed in my life.

My biggest life lesson is that money cannot buy happiness.

If you are born into a family with little money but a lot of love, you will find yourself more content than one who is born with a silver spoon and an empty home.