LANCE ARMSTRONG: ON THE HERO'S JOURNEY

No hero ever starts out looking like one. From a single parent family in Plano Texas, disappointment, despair, and disillusionment, put Lance Armstrong on a bike that took him out of Plano and on ride of his life. Youthful brawn led him to win his first Tour de France; inner strength and finesse allowed him to wrestle with death, and conquer multiple titles in world class race.

"It's not about Bike." From eating dirt on a rough road to shaking with fear as he faced his own death, Armstrong embraces both his strength and vulnerability, showing us hero, once revealed is both warrior.

Lance Armstrong shows us how leaders become heroes. Following him through courage, fear and conquest---a whole range of emotions, we witness his transformation from a champion of outward action and athletic prowess to tenderness, compassion, and integrity that takes him to edge of life and back as a champion of heart and spirit.

Excuses are demons you must learn to fight off if you wish to start living a happy and satisfied life. Most people claim to have many dreams, but say they just do not have time to approach them. Stop making excuses! You are only one who holds power to make a real difference in your life. Sure, we all have busy lives with our careers and families, but nothing takes up 24 hours of your day. So if something is truly important to you, you will be sure to make time to work on it. You can do this by replacing it with something less important. For example, if you claim you do not have time to work on other important goals in your life, perhaps it is time for you to start making close observations on way you spend your time. If you spend several hours of day working, studying, and then several hours taking care of house chores and family, what else are you doing with rest of your day? If you spend a good portion watching television, then you need to cut back on that and use that time to begin and follow an exercise plan you have been thinking to focus on for a long time (or whatever goal it is you have).

Making yourself one of your first priorities is not selfish. It actually is obligatory to do so in order to succeed in other subjects of your life. Without a happy and satisfied you, there will be no happy and satisfied life, because you will be stressed out and unhappy. You might be consciously ignoring your needs and desires, but your subconscious mind has not forgotten about you and will constantly remind you through stress, anger, sadness, insecurity and feelings of failure.

Start listening to yourself and becoming best friend and supporter you need. No one is going to work on your happiness for you, so find power and motivation stored up inside you, and use it to direct yourself into path of true happiness and satisfaction. You can do anything you set your mind to, and once you have stopped and gotten in touch with yourself, you will learn and realize just how wonderful and capable you really are, and how you always have been. You will not only realize these things, but also begin loving who are more and more, which will not only lead you to achieving things that make you most happy, but will guide you into a world of many new dreams come true.

Alina Ruigrok is an independent relationship expert for http://www.love-sessions.com helping those in need of dating, love, relationship, marital, sexual and other personal advice through e-sessions.