I'm a pretty competitive guy, though I try to keep it in perspective. But there are times, often when I least expect it, when life teaches me lessons about true nature of competition. One of those lessons came on a warm spring day several years ago, in a small town outside Portland, Oregon.

I used to love to watch high school track team train—especially distance runners. But that year, my eye was drawn to one girl in particular. Her running style was all wrong—she ran with her arms tucked close to her body, bouncing up and down in a way that must have driven her coaches crazy. My athletic mind scoffed at her strange style, I began to think of her as "the Bouncer."

But more I watched her, more I began to notice something else about this awkward young girl. While she ran, she was oblivious to everything and everybody as she bounced around track, and always wore a smile that could only be described as serene. For her, running had taken on significance that was difficult to define, and in spite of myself, that young woman with angelic smile began to intrigue me.

Even so, I couldn't help wondering how she was going to fare once real track season began—and it didn't take long to find out. In early May, high school hosted its first big track, featuring athletes from every school in conference.

Since conference ran distance races with both boys and girls on track at same time, a large group of athletes gathered at starting line for two-mile run—including Bouncer. The gun sounded, and runners took off in a multi-colored flash.

That year, our school had a very gifted runner named Dave, and he quickly took lead, one he would never relinquish for that entire season, because he never lost a race.

But Bouncer quickly fell far behind pack and as race progressed. Dave lapped her once, twice, and finally a third time. In fact, every runner, male and female, lapped Bouncer at least once before it was over. But she just kept running, arms tucked close to her sides, never varying her stride, bouncing up and down—and always wearing same angelic smile.

Perhaps at this point in your life, above statement temporarily holds true.

What a year it has been! The last few months have been full of both wonderful surprises and shocking events. In spite of wonderful blessings that you have had, events that have unfolded in your life have left you stumbling in dark, unsure of what to do and where to set your feet.

In a short period of time, everything that should not have happened to you has happened. You have been mentally and physically tormented, emotionally battered, and financially drained. Your relationships have suffered and your family life may just be dangling on a delicate string.

All or most of things that mattered most to you, may have slipped through your fingers as you helplessly watched. To sum it all up, you have had sleepless nights; worry to last a lifetime, stress, anxiety and everything in book that should be avoided in order to live a healthier and longer life. You have basically been living your worst nightmare.

Now as a new day dawns, big question in your mind is: Am I going to survive this? Is it going to get better?

The answer to that question is yes...you will survive storm!